Dearly Beloved
by CerealK
Summary: Three years have not robbed Sasuke of the desire to ram something sharp and pointy through his ex-husband Uzumaki Naruto. But when fate throws the blond back into his path Sasuke begins to remember all the reasons he'd married the man in the first place.
1. Clash of the Titans

**Title:** Dearly Beloved

**Chapter One:** Clash of the Titans

**Pairing:** NaruSasuke, NejiShikamaru,

**Rating:** NC-17

**Warnings:** Angst, Snark, sex, heartbreak, love, divorce, plot, making up, sex, love, slash, mentions of femmeslash, sex. Oh…and sex.

**Disclaimer:** No, I don't own Naruto. Goddamnit.

**A/N:** Naruto is Spanish and I will be using Spanish phrases in here- nothing to overwhelm you and nothing that context clues won't help you figure out. And don't tell me I can't mess with his ethnicity- I can do whatever I want, damnit.

**Summary**: Three years apart has not been enough to rob Uchiha Sasuke of the desire to ram something sharp and pointy through his ex-husband Uzumaki Naruto. But when fate throws the blond back into his path Sasuke begins to remember all the reasons he'd married the (insufferable) man in the first place.

**Unbeta'd: **_Ignore the mistakes_

**A/N 2:** Please don't think I've abandoned any of my stories. I've been having a shit few months and when that happens I tend to start more things than finish them. I wont ever abandon anything I've started though- specifically Backbreak (my baby) and Ma Cherie (cuddles). Now I'll let you all move on to the er...entertainments. lol. As for this fic...well It's chaptered and I was estimating about 5-6 10. 000 word chaps but my mind ran away from me. God knows how long this thing will be _. Damn you imagination.

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><p>It was a disaster.<p>

The spectacular, fabulous, once in a century bash Neji had planned for eight months in advance was turning into an unmitigated failure the likes of which never before seen in Japan's High Society…and it was all because one silly, cotton headed fool hadn't enough common sense to fill a teaspoon.

"You. Did. What?" The Hyuuga prince said softly, voice so low it sent shivers of pure fear down the young secretary's spine.

"I-I'm s-so s-orry Hyuuga-San." The girl Umi-something wailed, her once artfully done eyeliner reduced to black raccoon smudges from her frightened tears. "You-you asked me to compile the list of invitees and I hadn't thought that you-"

"And I suppose," Neji drawled stepping closer menacingly, eyes lidded to half conceal his rage "That this colossal oversight was hence my fault, no?"

"No- no of course not- no-I-"

An elegant hand raised in a gesture of exasperation sealed her apologetic litany off immediately.

"The problem has been created; and now, because of your foolishness I must navigate a party where two volatile chemicals are in danger of reacting. Were you not aware of the media madhouse three years ago when those two separated?" Neji hissed voice deadly and long hair swaying as his form trembled.

"Y-yes Sir I-"

"Then what," Neji drawled "Could have possessed you to invite Japan's two bitterest divorcees to the same media riddled fundraiser?"

The dark hair woman seemed to fold in unto herself beneath the furious swathe of Neji Hyuuga's rage. Even dressed as he was in flawless grey Christian Dior the Hyuuga effortlessly pulled off the image of a murderous warrior from the samurai days. Umi-something's career flashed before her eyes in a swirling torrent of drain sliding as she rued the day that she had affixed the international stamp to the expensive cream parchment of the invitation's hand crafted envelope.

"Hyuuga-san I-"

"-gladly accept your resignation." Neji smoothly cut in, grey eyes a cross between freezing arctic ice and marshland smoke; both insanely deadly. "With regret, assuredly, however I must agree with your decision that perhaps your time was better utilized pursuing avenues separate from corporate maneuvering. Please, feel free enjoy the evening; now if you will excuse me, I must attend to something."

With an elegant swirl Neji was striding through the gleaming golden lobby of the Lotus face hard and limbs stiff as he contemplated the mammoth challenge set before him. Entering the gilded cage of the completely glass elevator Neji waved the efforts of the ostentatiously dressed operator off and took vicious pleasure in savagely jabbing the button to take him to the Olympian Level.

There was no feasible reason why Konoha's finest hotel needed 19 stories of skyscraper constructed of glass, metal and silver hovering far above the normal headline but for this reason- the glittering societal functions of the rich and disgustingly famous.

The annual fundraiser and auction was- apart from ostensibly raising money for charitable public works spanning the board from orphanages to war veterans aid- the single event per year guaranteed to have the biggest, baddest and bitchiest of all Asia's elite gathered under one (too small) roof, eager to prove to each other how deep their pockets were and exactly what size diamond their significant-others of the moment could buy them.

The hosting of the even rotated amongst the oldest families in the city and this year, the Hyuuga's year, Neji had taken it upon himself to plan the most spectacular evening ever conceived in human memory- the banquet show was fucking Cirque-du-Solei for god sake and that wasn't counting the ice sculptures littering the room like diamonds, nor the Honshu National Orchestra playing something-in-D-minor on the raised gleaming mahogany platform at one end of the mammoth room. Even stuck in the elevator as he was Neji could easily picture the room to the barest detail so minutely had he organized, so obsessively had he planned, so painstakingly had he gone over every inch of that room.

Unfortunately, Neji now knew all his efforts were shot to hell as the guests were as likely to notice the cut rose crystal mythical animal shaped party favours (crafted by the premier glassworks facility this half of the Greenwich Meridian) as they would notice a sudden and fierce apocalypse since they were all stuffing their gossip gullets with the sight of the greatest scandal since France declared itself a republic.

The elevator dinged and Neji strode out of the small room with a determined stride, the headache growing behind his eyes mutating upon itself with each step. The grand doors to the ballroom were flung wide and Neji paused at the smooth threshold to breathe deeply and force his sensitive eyes to not be blinded by the unbelievable amount of reflective surfaces.

He saw the exited eyes, he heard the snippets of the too hushed but not tactful enough conversations, saw the almost frenzied way the debutants chattered among themselves and heard the deep snide remarks of the men clad in Armani-this and Hugo Boss-that.

And then Neji's eyes followed the ravenous glances and alighted on the backbreakingly rigid posture of one Sasuke Uchiha who was seconds away from shattering the champagne flute in his hand into so much crystal shards and a trip to the emergency room. A loud laugh hauled Neji's-and everyone else's for that matter's- attention to the other side of the room where the one man bold enough to wear a leather jacket to a black tie function stood, body angled towards the dark haired Uchiha but eyes trained dedicatedly on his chatting companions. Uzumaki Naruto always had known how to steal the show.

Neji sighed and forced himself not to pass a hand over his eyes in a visible show of discomfort.

'_Ladies and gentlemen...'_ Neji murmured to himself as he made his way into the teeming- gracefully of course- mass of wealth and intelligentsia as he forced his body to call upon its energy reserves_. '…I present to you… a tap dance.'_

Smooth and expertly minted as this champagne was the classy liquid was so much sludge in his mouth and Uchiha Sasuke almost desperately wanted something cheap and harsh enough to burn his stomach clean from his body.

Another deep, melodious laugh had Sasuke throwing back every drop of the French-something before unceremoniously snatching another flute from a passing waiter and downing that too.

It didn't help and Sasuke scowled, dark fantasies of the vodka-near-moonshine in his liquor cabinet at home dancing in front of his eyes.

He knew that it wasn't on for him to be openly bothered this way since every eye in the room was both trained on him and desperate for every sign of weakness to be exploited. He knew the fierce anger radiating from his very skin was doing nothing but drawing glee from his detractors just as he knew, fucking knew, that tomorrows headlines, instead of "Elite Donate xxx-obscene millions to charity" would read "Torrid Reunion- Scandal at the Lotus".

"Uchiha-"

'_The lead'_ Sasuke though viciously, '_will be something like 'embittered ex- lovers Uzumaki Naruto and Uchiha Sasuke faced off in a reunion three years in coming after their earth shattering divorce. Knives were mercilessly wielded._'

"Uchiha-"

What the fuck was that blasted Hyuuga thinking anyway? Didn't he know what social suicide it was to invite both bitter parties of an ex-marriage to the same fucking soiree? Had Neji finally lost what sens-

"Sasuke, _pull yourself together_." A liquid nitrogen voice hissed through clenched teeth and a congenial smile.

Sasuke blinked and watched as Neji, resplendent in dove grey silk pinstripes and lavender shirt and tie, gracefully plucked a golden flute from another waiter- all who looked deliberately stolen from the front pages of GQ- while his soft smile (brittle around the edges but not really visible if you didn't look to hard) never wavered.

"You." Sasuke replied, lips thin. "I should-"

"Me." Neji interrupted before Sasuke could voice his undoubtedly creative threat of elimination.

"I did not plan this Uchiha- believe me." Neji continued, lowly, body angling in a completely relaxed manner that conflicted with his hard eyes. "A foul up in my hierarchy- never would I have insulted either of you this way. My sources had informed me that he was in Ibiza for the month."

Sasuke laughed harshly and waved his empty glass in a sharp gesture very much reminiscent of stabbing someone in the chest.

"Foolish. Like St. Uzumaki ever misses a chance to give to the poor orphans and war veterans and homeless widows and…and…what animal was it again?"

Neji's lips twitched. "The endangered Sicilian Spider Monkey."

"Yes," Sasuke agreed, snatching another glass of golden something and downing that too. "Them." He grimaced, "The bloody baboons."

"Sasuke- _please_ you must at least appear to enjoy yourself."

The Uchiha blinked before smirking nastily, the short crop of his obsidian hair still strange to the Hyuuga who had grown up with the Sasuke sporting shoulder length bangs.

"Why, can't you tell Neji- I'm having the time of my _life_."

"Haha, I can tell." A deep voice cut in.

Both men half spun to greet the newest addition to the conversation. Dressed dashingly in black tailored pantsuit complete with emerald green waistcoat, tails and matching bowtie Temari Sabaku stood, her firm jaw squared off into wicked grin and her piercing blue-green eyes alight with blunt mischief.

"Sabaku." Neji greeted smoothly, "My dear sir, to what do we owe the pleasure?"

"You don't." The one third heir of Suna Sand Works said, smirk growing wider at the innocent jab to her utter and complete deficit of femininity. "But I'm thoroughly amused. Never let it be said that a Hyuuga couldn't throw a party. I'm all aflutter with the…er…"Temari glanced rather pointedly towards Naruto and back to Sasuke. "…entertainments."

Neji's lips thinned.

"I assure you-"

The blond woman waved it off with one nonchalant hand. "I understand, irritating peons and whatnot. Sasuke- you're looking dashing this evening."

"As are you- I believe my grandfather was buried in a similar outfit."

Temari threw back her head and laughed that particular deep masculine laugh of hers that always discomfited ever man in a fifteen foot radius of her.

"Charming." She snorted before her eyes lit up again and she waved to someone behind Sasuke's shoulder.

The Uchiha blinked a bit to clear his vision- well would you look at that seems this champagne had more use to it than he'd thought-and focused just in time to see a mess of strawberry blond frou frou something with longer legs than feasibly possible attach itself to the sharp eyed businesswoman's arm.

"-rrible business Temi-poo." The mass of glittering extensions was saying, all wide eyed and oblivious. "They- the Higurashi ladies of course- are saying there is a great to do and flurry; apparently some estranged lovers have been forced to-"

Neji cleared his throat.

The mound of inch long lashes and cleavage paused, her wide –oddly pretty green eyes- focusing on the two men standing with her significant other.

An awkward pause.

"Oh my." She demurred prettily with a gasp turning to the frowning Sasuke, "You're probably one of his best friends aren't you?"

Incredulous Sasuke just slowly turned his frigid stare back to Temari.

The woman's lips worked. "Karin, sweetheart, how about you fetch me some of that hideously fattening thing on the buffet table."

The mound tittered. "Of course Temi-poo." And flitted off, never mind that the entire buffet table was smothered in hideously fattening things and her order had in no way been specific.

"What?" The fierce boardroom woman said unapologetically, "She's nineteen and straight off the Osaka runway. I'm not particularly miffed about the lack of a rocket science degree."

"Still," Sasuke grunted his hands staring annoyed into the empty bottom of his glass, "There were standards once…decorum…common sense…literacy…"

Temari laughed again. "Don't throw stones when it comes to political correctness, Uchiha. Why I seem to remember a Christmas bash few years ago when the entire drawing room heard you screaming for-"

"-more Tiramisu, yes." A low dangerous voice interspersed. The trio shifted to accommodate the homicidal looking five foot redhead now staring dispassionately at his elder sibling.

"You wouldn't happen to have been going to say something crass, would you sister mine?" Gaara asked in that low, sinister half whisper of his that-when he (rarely) chose to utilize it- normally terrified his employees into tachycardia.

Sasuke watched through lowered eyed as Temari fluttered her eyelashes at Gaara in a move utterly unsuited to her masculine form. "Of course not little brother- what do you take me for? Some kind of foul mouthed dyke?"

"Yes." the redhead clad in pitch black everything returned plainly.

"You forgot the part about being 'raised by wolves'." Sasuke sneered lightly managing, despite Neji's subtle movements, to deposit his spent glasses and fetch himself another one.

Gaara turned those jade edged green eyes upon him and Sasuke felt himself shift uncomfortably underneath the stare. "Uchiha- you-"

"-are fine- jesus, I will not fall apart into a blithering pile of mush at the sight of my ex-husba-"

-and then things happened fast.

A drunken debutant six feet away staggered and slammed into a towering ice sculpture of an elegant mermaid and was caught by a passing waiter who had sacrificed his tray of Bubbly-French-Something to play hero. The resulting spill had four others careening about, the flailing bejeweled arm of one which slammed into Sasuke's opposite shoulder and sent him spinning, the arc of champagne in his glass creating a delicate- and frankly pretty looking- curve as it soared through the air and splashed-

-right unto the shoulder of one approaching Uzumaki Naruto.

Time stopped.

The very air in the room went still as death as a tan hand slowly reached up and trailed fingertips through his new wet additions.

For a brief moment Sasuke observed the way the champagne made Naruto's sun-heart hair shine.

"O-oh. Oh my." The drunk woman- some heiress to a medical conglomerate stated in the silence, mouth working furiously in shock. "U-uzumaki san my apologies, I- I'm a -ha-"

"Having an amazing time, yes." Naruto grinned humbly, the brilliant flash of white teeth and forgiving crinkle to the corners of cerulean eyes utterly absolving the woman of fault.

"Don't worry Shizune-san, my jacket only gained a bit more class this evening than I'd hoped. Besides…" he continues, mesmerizing blue eyes slowly turning from the wobbly woman to flit and land on Sasuke's form. The Uzumaki's lips twitched wryly.

"…I'm a bit more used to having things thrown at me that you might think."

A nervous titter, high and weird, rang out from somewhere but was hastily strangled when the laugher realized that no one else was catching on.

As soon as the blasé reference to Sasuke's habit of tossing large and very pointy objects towards him during the later days of their marriage petered out amongst the crowd Sasuke wondered if he could get away with lobbing his flute at Naruto's head as well and calling it a delayed reaction.

Life and conversation twitched jerkily back into the room as Naruto accepted brush downs by servers bearing thousand count Egyptian Cotton hand cloths.

"Fellas please. Its champagne, not battery acid- I won't spontaneously combust."

'_I beg to differ._' Sasuke thought viciously as his mind spawned no less than six rather creative ways to get 'X'-candle from that nearby buffet table unto 'Y'-target currently doused in flammable alcohol.

"Uzumaki-san," Neji greeted coolly, the tick in his left eyebrow going mercifully uncommented on as Neji faced his leather clad gatecrasher. "Greetings. You'll forgive me but I had heard you were visiting home this month."

The six foot four Spaniard's mouth twitched as he took the polite inquiry for the _'what the blazing fuck are you doing here,'_ that it really was.

"My Personal Assistant Sakura received this invite in the mail while I was off Island. Terribly urgent she said it was- booked me a ticket back to Honshu faster than I'd have though feasibly possible."

Sasuke's teeth ground together so hard he was surprised they didn't fall to dust upon his tongue. God damn that pink haired bitch- he'd never liked Naruto's Secretary anyways- what with her perfect know-it-all-isms and flawless job handling and husband manipulation.

The youngest Uchiha was doing his utter best to gather the torn remnants of his pride and wrap them-bandage like- around his frame like a mask. It wouldn't do to let the gossip mongers and cleverly hidden paparazzi get even bigger money shots of him than they already had.

It wouldn't do to let the world see-via the page two spread on the Konoha Evening Edition- just how ragged and slit this man before him had left him on that brilliant sunny day three years ago when he'd walked out of the courtroom, stone-faced while a judge finalized their separation.

It wouldn't do for anyone, especially the blond, to see the pain and anger that Sasuke knew were buried in his eyes were still so raw and rusting after so long.

It was for less than half a second but for the minuscule time frame when Naruto flittered those piercing blue eyes over him Sasuke was transported into an ether somewhere between five years ago moaning and insatiable on his honeymoon and 39 months ago screaming at a wall in desperation.

"-cognac, please." Gaara's deep voice was saying in reply to a question the blond had asked about refilling everyone's drinks.

"Jack Daniels," Temari grinned as she placed her order, "on the rocks."

"Neji?" Naruto- the apparent drink getter-queried.

"Another champagne, please."

And finally Naruto turned to him and Sasuke's soul caught half way in his throat as something minute but horribly painful sliced itself open in his chest.

"And for you…Sasuke?" Neji asked, removing the choice from Naruto in an act of mercy.

Sasuke swallowed, ears ringing and all too aware of the silence around them as everyone listened to the first words he would utter to the blond business mogul since their divorce.

"Dr-" but he wasn't given the chance.

"Dry vodka martini…stirred, one olive, extra gin." Naruto murmured lowly, eyes cast to the left. Slowly those heavenly orbs turned to stare Sasuke full in the face and the raven haired male found himself grieved and seriously pissed off about Naruto's –_correct fucking god damnit_- presumption as he named Sasuke's drink of choice. "..I remember."

Silence.

Sasuke felt red anger flare to life beneath his skin but some merciful act of god kept it wrapped and belted tightly down from staining his pale face rouge.

Coldly Sasuke replied, "A Whisky actually. Aged, double fingered…neat."

Sasuke fucking despised whiskey but he despised Naruto being right and familiar and so fucking present even more. He'd drink raw oil before he let the blond have the satisfaction of proving- whatever the fuck it was that he was trying to prove.

The gazes in the group- two impassive (one more worried than the other) and one just dancing wickedly in amusement switched to Naruto's face like lightning, desperate to see his reaction to the rebuke.

The blond's full lips pursed and his eyelids lowered a bit but insufficiently to cover the darkly amused shimmer.

"Of course." The blond replied with a mocking little bow of his head, acknowledging Sasuke's rebuff. "How…surprising."

And what the fuck was that supposed to mean?

Sasuke's mind tripped into an overdrive that he might have recognized as paranoid had he been thinking straight and not halfway soused on bubbly. Darkly eyeing the blonds back as he left to the bar questions railed through Sasuke's mind like wild water.

Was Naruto trying to imply that Sasuke hadn't changed?

What, did he want the whole world to think that he, Uzumaki Naruto, knew Sasuke so well that he could pass judgments like that?

What was the man's angle? He couldn't just walk up in here after three fucking years gone gallivanting to the ends of the earth and tell Sasuke that he couldn't have his whisky. By god, the Uchiha was going to-

"So how about this weather we're having?" A sly voice edged in.

Sasuke felt like stabbing himself in the face. It figured that the only time Kakashi Hatake would show up from his self-imposed exile in the boonies was to witness his abject humiliation.

The silver haired man was slumped over in his customary slouch, disguising his six foot six for less than it really was. Well known for despising social conventions the eccentric genius was clad in a slightly rumpled black tux with his customary enormous cream Chanel scarf shielding half his face. When Sasuke had been younger the mystery behind his tutor's face had spawned a ridiculous crush which the man had teased him mercilessly for. Their love hate relationship was mostly hate- well, that and annoyance. Both men, despite their seven year age differences were far too alike to ever gel.

"Kakashi-san." Neji greeted. "It's good to see you. How are the mountains this time of year?"

"Raining cats, dogs and ex-lovers." The man replied his eyes curled into U's.

Sasuke's teeth ground together. "When do you plan to retu-"

"Kakashi!" Naruto called out as he rejoined the group bearing a tray of liquids. "What brings you down from Hokage Head Mountain?"

A single blue eye cracked open. "Fulfilling my duty to humanity and the young orphans and the- what was it- the Brazilian Bonobo or something?"

"Sicilian Spider Monkey." Neji corrected mildly.

"Yeah, that." The man sidled to the left and swung a companionable arm around the Uchiha's tense shoulders. "And to see my favourite student of course! How could I let this amazing opportunity for a reunion with Susu-chan pass me by?"

"I think," Temari smirked into her Jack, "That if you call Master Uchiha that one more time you might forcibly meet your spleen Kakashi-sama. He's not in the er…best of moods today."

'_Fuck me god I'm surrounded by pundits._' Sasuke grimaced as he swallowed a mouthful of whiskey.

"Nah." The blond man drawled, his cobalt eyes shimmering with a forthcoming tease. "Sasuke is used to name calling. He's an expert in creating them even. Fondly do I remember 'usuratonkachi'. Nothing warmed my heart more than being labeled 'bumbling moron'."

The opportunity was ripe and Sasuke couldn't resist. "I'm glad then." He smiled sweetly. "I always had thought that one to be a stroke of genius."

Naruto titled his glass of wine in a salute, his smile dry. "How's Itachi?" He queried.

"Marinating in a villa somewhere in Bali with his surfer lover he thinks we don't know anything about." Sasuke replied instantly, eyed hard. "How's your wife?"

Naruto sighed, the sound one of someone tired and exasperated with repeatedly defending himself. "Sakura is not my wife."

The place was dead silent and nobody even pretended to not be hideously fascinated with the building altercation. It was amazing, Sasuke thought, how being in Naruto's presence raised every hackle he had and fried all his nerves to shit.

"My mistake." Sasuke ground out, his lips tight in an overly polite smile. "I was under the impression that any woman with the power to call a man out of bed at three twelve am was either his mother of his ball and chain."

"Funny you should call it that." The Spaniard replied, mirth still in his face but rapidly decreasing. "Likening marriage to a dungeon and shac-"

"Boys, boys." Kakashi interrupted, raising his hands palm up in a placating gesture. "Play nice, please."

Sasuke's body was suddenly vibrating with anger. The bastard. The utter bastard. Just because the Uchiha preferred to remain home and had often voiced his displeasure at Naruto's adventurous gallivanting did not mean that he had tried to imprison him. Was it that much of a crime to want stability for once in his life? Not every fucking body was a mountain climbing, deep sea diving, Loch Ness monster hunting –

"Yes," Sasuke agreed sagely and fiercely angry. Nonchalantly swirling his whisky Sasuke turned to casually survey the room. "God forbid a man wake up to find his husband in the same h-"

"-honourable condition he went to bed in." Neji smoothed in.

Knuckles white with anger Sasuke turned his eyes on Neji and glared. His best friend from birth bore it admirably. Unable to deal with the slicing rips appearing phantomlike in an organ Sasuke had thought dried and withered the Uchiha swallowed his pride and deemed it better to run away. There was only so much humiliation he could bear in one evening. Like being drawn to a magnetic force Sasuke found his eyes unwillingly locked unto hooded and shadowed cerulean orbs.

"If you'll excuse me Neji," Sasuke said, voice coarse, "I've suddenly remember something I must be doing." The Uchiha refused to both look away from Naruto's amused eyes and add the phrase '_I'd rather be pulling my teeth out'_ to Neji.

Holding out an elegant hand Sasuke deferred his glass to the pale Hyuuga and tugged down the hem of his jacket before nodding a polite acknowledgement to the two sand siblings and his former Martial Arts teacher standing beside them. He spun around and-

"Off to see a man about a horse then…eh?" Naruto's purr flowed out, tone mocking and lightly entertained.

Eyes wide and brimming with anger the youngest mogul of Sharingan Advertising spun around and fixed his ex-husband, owner of all nine branches of Jinchuriki Entertainments with one level stare that could have peeled paint from the walls if it so desired. Sasuke's lips went bloodless as he remembered all the pain and anguish this man, standing so casually before him, had wreaked upon him. Sasuke was barely on speaking terms with his own father because of this man- and he had the audacity- the sheer balls to fucking stand there and-

"Something like that, yes." The twenty six year old replied and then, without a word spun on his heel and stalked out.

Through the whole ride downwards the spine of the hotel Sasuke told himself that the reason there was a lump in his throat blocking all his attempts to swallow was because the whisky had made his tongue numb.


	2. Headliner

**Title**: Dearly Beloved

**Chapter Two:** Headliner

**Pairing**: NaruSasuke, NejiShikamaru, KisamexItachi, Itachi x Konan,

**Rating:** NC-17

**Warnings**: Angst, Snark, sex, heartbreak, love, divorce, plot, making up, sex, love, slash, mentions of femmeslash, sex. Oh…and sex.

**Disclaimer**: No, I don't own Naruto. Goddamnit.

**A/N:** Naruto is Spanish and I will be using Spanish phrases in here- nothing to overwhelm you and nothing that context clues won't help you figure out. And don't tell me I can't mess with his ethnicity- I can do whatever I want damnit.

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><p><strong>The City Crier<strong>

**Front Page**

**Lovers Face off at the Lotus**

By: Perfectly Anonymous

_As the ashes settle and universal order resets itself in the wake of the Great Konoha Charity Ball, one is left to wonder, what on earth was Master Hyuuga thinking?_

_This Humble Reporter would never cast aspirations on the stability of such a great pillion of our society but really? Putting Uzumaki Naruto and Uchiha Sasuke in the same room? Without bulletproof glass?_

_Many of us remember the cataclysmic fall out three years ago when Japan's dream couple finally split the difference. After months of public spats, sniping and repeated split ups the accumulated tension threatened to split the newly merged super-glomerate of Jinchu-ringan Inc back down the middle. Both parties signed the divorce papers in Honshu's Supreme High Court and never looked back; Uzumaki returning to his Mediterranean home in Spain and Uchiha Sasuke taking the social scene of Japan by storm._

_But what really caused all the most Beautiful Couple Alive (see GQ Magazine 2009) to call it quits? Rumor had it that tension about Uzumaki's secretary Haruno Sakura was often the fire starter in many of the couple's arguments. Both parties however summarily denied the allegation and we all pretended to not notice when a particular rose haired woman went on extended leave for about four months._

_Old habits die hard though- just ask anyone who overheard Uchiha tersely ask Uzumaki how his wife was, a question to which Uzumaki answered that Haruno was decidedly not his significant other._

"_You could see the repressed emotions in their eyes." One party goer who wished to remain anonymous sighs at the tragic romance of it all._

"_Emotion, yeah." Says another attendee dryly, "If homicidal urges are can be emotion."_

_Marriage counselor and renown celebrity relationship expert Dr. Kabuto Yakushi has brought it to our attention however that the barbed words and heated glances may be indicative of deeper, unresolved, lingering feelings of-_

-And that was as far as Sasuke got before tossing the paper down in disgust.

"Burn this for me, would you?" Sasuke asked through grit teeth as he handed the paper over to his everything-man who had just entered the bedroom with Sasuke's breakfast tray. Suigetsu took the paper, his handsome face mild, blue hair neatly combed and tucked behind a pale ear.

"You… want me to start a fire… in August, Sir?"

"Yes." Sasuke replied, face down in a cup of Moroccan coffee and resolutely ignoring what Suigetsu's tone implied about his sanity. "For once, let me have the satisfaction of watching something other than my life burn to cinders."

"Your life," Suigetsu replied as he maneuvered himself to the modern fireplace tucked into a small recess in the wall, "is fine."

"My life is a farce." Sasuke countered. "It's a miracle Father hasn-"

On his bedside table Sasuke's Blackberry vibrated to life.

A moment.

"Do you choose to answer Sir or shall I tell Master Uchiha that you've come down with a nasty case of pneumonia." Sui drawled dryly.

Sasuke gave his loyal butler the eye before bracing himself and answering the phone.

"Father. To what do I owe the pleasure so early on a Saturday morning?"

Uchiha Fugaku was a graying sixty-five year old battleax who had built Sharingan Ad from the base irons upwards, his highly efficient and methodical operating standards carving out a solid place in the Marketing world. Uchiha Fugaku knew how to sell people their own bullshit back to them and, unfortunately, it was the one talent of his father's that Sasuke despised with a vengeance since the old bastard had used it more than once to undermine his marriage.

"My son-"

-_pretentious fuck. _Sasuke thought_-_

"-It befalls me to query why you have seen fit to drag my company through the gutters of what this society calls news again-"

-_not your company, you retired half a year ago_-

"-and forced our legal department into expenditure to minimalize the negative effect your sordid affairs are once again wreaking-"

-_I can't control what my ex does, goddamnit-_

"-could not manage your own affairs when you were younger and now I must once again be the sensible party. Hadn't you- entered relations- with that man in the first place then-"

-_Say it dad- _Sasuke though bitterly,_ -say that I married him. Say that it killed you to know that after Itachi's failure your last chance for heirs died when I told the world I preferred being on my back to another man_-

"-be our onus to correct this. Do you understand, Son?"

Sasuke sighed internally, secretly a bit glad that Suigetsu had vacated the room as soon as Sasuke had answered the call. It wouldn't do for the butler to see the slight flickers of pain and sadness he knew were dancing across his face at the hell his father put him through all because he'd had the balls to rob Fugaku of his so called right.

"The Press will be dealt with." Sasuke consoled quietly. "Shikamaru can silence anyone."

And boy didn't he know it. God knows what black magic the Nara, Sasuke's personal PR Agent, had pulled to keep that one story off the presses when the Senior Reporter from the Crier had snapped a million dollar shot of Naruto dragging his disheveled ass out through the doorway of Olympic Taijutsu champion TenTen Hirasuta's mini mansion at unmentionable- o clock in the morning.

"See to it. And Sasuke," Fugaku added, tone a bit softer. 'I know you do not believe me but trust when I say that I only have what is best for you in mind."

Sasuke swallowed. "Yes Father, of course."

The phone line went dead and so did Sasuke's appetite. Resting the dark tray on the black chrome night table the dark haired man swung his knees out from the mass of pure white bed coverings and hunched over, burying his head in his hands and scrubbing softly in a vain hope to deter the building migraine.

He hadn't slept a minute the night before and so had resorted to switching his laptop on at four am just to give his racing mind something to do. Unfortunately, Marketing plans did not come easily to the genius before dawn and, shamefully, the Uchiha had spent the rest of his morning re-watching Pirates of the Caribbean for the umpteenth time. Beautiful as Jack Sparrow was there were some things even humor couldn't cure.

His phone rang again.

"Jesus." Sasuke groaned before picking up the device again and answering, not caring if it was the savior himself on the other end. "What?"

"Good morning to you too, O Lord and Master." A raspy voice, dry with years of cigarette tar, replied.

"Shikamaru, please, the bloody sun isn't up yet. I know you're an insomniac but –"

"-my work is infallible. Thank you for the compliment."

Sasuke rolled his eyes and scrubbed his face again.

"You're needed in the office." The unseen man added quietly.

"Surely," Sauske sighed, "that one chance meeting with that bastard couldn't possibly cause enough damage to warrant dragging me to the office on a Saturday."

"No." the Nara replied, his answer cut off by soft hacking coughs. "But the new Gatsousu Shoe Company's latest contract might."

Sasuke sat up straighter and furrowed his brows. "What new contract?"

"Emergency remarketing of a messed up product I think. There's money to be made in fixing the mistakes of stupid men… but it won't happen if you can't pull an emergence meeting with the CEO of Product Managing out of your shapely behind in thirty minutes. You remember him from last quarter right? Fat man, pretty secretary?"

Sasuke did in fact remember the CEO in question. The woman who aided him had once fainted in the middle of a boardroom meeting due to an unknown health condition.

"…Shikamaru…I-"

"-desperately need to show the world that's it not affecting you man. I'm doing all I can from my end but it's getting harder to buy a gag order these days." There was a pause as the Nara took a drag from his favorite brand of Menthols.

"What with the lack of gossip after that track star went bust on doping you're going to be in the press a while. Make a public appearance soon Sasuke or the papers will run with the 'wounded lover' bit and there's nothing desperate house wives love more than that."

The Uchiha grit his teeth. God fucking damn Naruto for fucking up his life AGAIN anyway.

"Tell Haku to prepare the dossier. I'm on my way in."

Shikamaru hummed.

"And Nara." Sasuke continued, his body interminably tired but amused, "Mention my shapely behind again and we'll fast cure that insomnia of yours."

"Heh, Yes Sir. No more mentioning your shapely behind at all."

Sasuke could hear genius smirking but didn't even bother correct him since they both knew that Shikamaru was worth his weight in blue diamond. Sighing, the Uchiha hung up the phone and stared at the carpet a bit, trying to gather the strength to haul his tired body out of bed. Words from the movie he'd watch flitted back to him.

"…_the world is shrinking, the blank edges of the map filled in…must find his place in the New World or perish... not unlike you…_'

Sasuke swallowed hard and hauled himself up.

Time to begin again.

(***)

"-background checks, credit reports, financial affiliations, fiscal projections for the next year, mock ups of the latest products to be marketed and initial societal surveys for reactions to the products are all inside. The representatives are waiting for you."

As Sasuke accepted the document from the slender young man the Uchiha once again revisited his private thought that Haku was born in the wrong century. Petite, demure, beautiful and soft eyed as sin the efficient young man would have made a perfect Tokugawa Shogun's wife- his manipulations all behind the paper screen but resolute as steel.

"Thank you, Haku. My apologies for dragging you in on a weekend, I know Mamochi must be furious."

The black clad PA smiled softly, his dark brown eyes gentle at the mention of his convalescing Marine husband. "Zabuza will survive without me for a few hours."

The long haired man swept an arm towards the high sheen of the gleaming chrome doors to the meeting room. "Mr. Momaru is waiting for you."

Sasuke shouldered his way into the room, eyes on the rows of figures before him. The scrape of a chair caused him to look up into the small eyes of a fat little man named Gato and his beautiful green clad secretary standing demurely behind his chair- so it was she alone who had stood…disrespectful, odious little bastard.

Sasuke nodded to the woman. "Tsunami-san, I am pleased to see you have recovered your health. How is your son?"

The wave country woman cast a nervous glance at her slighted boss but bowed back to Sasuke. "He is well also Sir. My thanks for your inquiries."

Sasuke placed himself in the head chair and settled his burden on the warm wooden table.

"Mamoru." He nodded without caring to look in the man's general direction. "Let's get down to Business. What exactly is it that you want from us. On the last meeting you were not keen on signing."

The fat man scowled but nodded. "Let's just say recent circumstances have changed my mind."

Suspicious, Sasuke narrowed his eyes. "Please, enlighten me."

In response Gato removed a sheaf of stiff white papers from a folder and tossed them down the length of the desk.

_Ill-mannered, disrespectful, odious little bastard_. Sasuke corrected himself before glancing down in disdain at the fourteen by fourteen inch high gloss mockup of the most fucking ugly shoe Sasuke had ever laid eyes on.

The Uchiha shifted in his business suit and cocked a brow. "_This_…is the new product?"

The man grunted. "Production mishap. By the time it was corrected we'd already created enough to sink a small freighter- and now we need to get rid of it."

Sasuke pursed his lips, his headache from earlier coming back in leaps and in bounds. He didn't even want to think of the disaster it would be to try and sell this thing.

"My advice would be to cut your losses." Sasuke shrugged. "This shoe is hideous."

Gato heaved himself up straighter and scratched his jaw. "I know, but I also know you guys can sell anything."

Unimpressed the Uchiha let the weak flattery peter away.

"See," Gato continued, not even nodding to his secretary in thanks as she handed him another folder, "I figure that you can sell it by taking the focus off the item and unto a face."

The next set of high gloss photos tossed down- didn't this man ever learn manners- were photoshop masterpieces of beautiful teenagers hanging out in a mall, their stylish clothes and airbrushed smiles still marred to death by the hideous shoes.

"The problem," Sasuke replied flatly, his entire being pissed to death when people tried to do his job for him. "Is that I'm not selling these faces- you want me to somehow brainwash the entire population into buying an ill designed product."

The man huffed, his stocky frame betraying his annoyance at Sasuke's refusal to capitulate. "You do it all the time don't you?"

"No." Sasuke said, utterly pissed now. "We don't. Consumers are not as silly as you believe them to be Momaru."

Gato puffed some more but stubbornly railroaded on. "I also think that with your company's merger with Jinchuriki entertainments we would get one of those teen sensations to sign on and sport it. You know, like that one there, the little red-headed one that looks like a younger Lindsey Lohan."

Sasuke's vision boiled red as he saw what the man was angling after. How many times had he sat here and dealt with people who only went through him to get to Naruto's half of the company? One of the nine 'tails' of the blond's organization was Jinchiriki Records, the most successful and expanding record contractor in Asia. All the best acts were signed to Naruto's label and, unfortunately, since both the companies had merged thanks to their marriage, opportunists all though they could get both for the price of one.

"I assure you Gato," Sasuke replied, "even if I had the control over Jinchuriki Entertainments that you think I do, never would I force Moegi-chan to destroy her budding Fashion Line by wearing this eyesore. Your factories made a mistake- cut your losses and burn the entire stock to cinders. I assure you, no agency will take this client."

The Uchiha stood and shut the dossier, his throat tight. Did _everyone_ fucking want him just to get to Naruto? First his goddamn, money hungry Uncle and his sly introductions, then his bloody Father and his so called 'peace dinners' just to piss Naruto off and then that _stupid bitch_ who'd tried to-

_Enough_.

"Now see here-" The fat man spluttered as he heaved his bulk out of the padded chair.

Feeling as though he were inches away strangling the brute barehanded Sasuke restrained himself and silenced the offender with a look.

"On behalf of Sharingan Advertising I am pleased in your interest in our company but unfortunately I must decline your account. Good Day Momaru, Haku will escort you out."

Spinning on his heel Sasuke stalked past the silent male hovering serenely at the door and strode, jaw tight, towards the row of personal elevators that led upwards towards the two floors of CEO suites. Jabbing his finger into the depression inscribed with his name Sasuke waited impatiently until the small carriage spat him out into the hallway.

Inside the darkened room the aggrieved man stripped off his jacket and tossed it over the back of the hand tooled leather couch before liberating a healthy glass of vodka from a gilded cabinet and settling himself behind his enormous desk to try and eradicate the last twenty minutes from his mind.

"Heard you kicked Gato to the curb."

Sasuke sighed, not bothering to open his eyes. "Do I want to know how you keep getting into my office uninvited Nara?"

Shikamaru shifted himself out of the shadows and poured his lanky, skinny frame into one of the chairs opposite the Uchiha's desk. Sloppy to his core the Nara was never one for front appearances, what with all his clothes wrinkled and his hair pulled back into a messy ponytail with tendrils of dark brown strands escaping from its confinement to flitter about his thin face.

When Sasuke had first met the Nara it had been outside an antique bookstore downtown the raven frequented. The boy's shaggy worn clothes, gaunt appearance and dark smudges under his eyes had caused Sasuke to think him homeless at first. Feeling the Uchiha's gaze, Shikamaru had opened his exhausted eyes, took one look at Sasuke and said like smoky sandpaper,

"You always come here. You'll never find what you're looking for if you keep searching in the same place. "

Sasuke had just stared at him in amazement until a honking horn from a Bentley that had just pulled up to the sidewalk made the strange young man haul himself up from the ground, fish a battered packet of Malboro menthols from his shirt front and, after lighting one up, waved away the attention of the newly appeared chauffeur and slid inside the posh vehicle with nary a look back.

It was only later that Sasuke found out the boy, Shikamaru Nara, was the insomniac son of Japan's Agricultural Minister, who had taken to wondering the city in the midnights when waking haunted him.

Intrigues beyond sense at the youth's insight (indeed Sasuke had been searching for a specific book for years now) Sasuke had sought the high school student out and now three years later the dark haired genius was the man who knew Sasuke's social life better than he did himself. Shikamaru often claimed that it was because he couldn't be bothered to make one of his own.

"Depends." The twenty one year old smoking addict shrugged. "Do you really want to know how lax your security is?"

"Nara," Sasuke sighed, "Please."

In response the thin young man levered himself up from the couch and placed a thick manila envelope on the darkly gleaming flattop in front of him.

"What's this?"

"Information on what Uzumaki-san has been up to in the past three years."

Bared his teeth Sasuke shoved the thing back at its giver as though the very paper was made of poison.

"I don't _want_ to-"

"So you're not wondering why he's back in Japan in the first place?" The other man queried impatiently. "Not when he's been so content to run his businesses from Spain all this time?"

The dark haired man quieted. The very same thought had flashed across his mind before and the Uchiha would be lying if he said he wasn't curious. The party Neji threw was hardly the first such bash the Uzumaki had missed. Why this one? Why did Naruto choose to come back now?

The gloom in the office deepened for a bit and the shadows crawling along the lengths of the antique furniture and the Aubusson carpets made the spacious room appear larger than it was. This had been Itachi's office originally. After the elder male had quite succinctly told their father to fuck himself and left to open his own company with his group of radical artist friends, Sasuke had shifted offices. Well, that and because he couldn't stand to be in the same room where Naruto had routinely thrown him over his own chairs and-

Sasuke slammed that thought to a halt immediately.

Downing another healthy gulp of his stiff drink the brunet reached up and tugged at his short hair, annoyance flowing through him once more as he missed the long flowing locks that used to brush his collarbones. This pseudo buzz cut was clawing him to his bones.

"Besides." Shikamaru continued, scratching at a bit of hair at his neck, "It's not what you want really. It's necessary that you don't look like a fool when the press shouts questions at you. You can't let them tear you to pieces."

Damned if he did and double damned if he didn't.

"Lead on, MacDuff." Sasuke acquiesced quietly.

Shikamaru titled his slender face, his hideously intelligent green-hazel eyes boring through the weary Uchiha like pikes.

Sasuke slowly swiveled his chair around, unable to really face the razor sharp eyes of the genius slouched over in his couch. Like a doctor with a festering wound however the Nara surged on.

"After the finalization Uzumaki left the country immediately."

"To Spain." Sasuke guessed flatly. He had no solid idea of what had befallen the blond three years ago and never cared to find out; back then, raw and hurting and hopelessly missing the man as he was Sasuke wouldn't have minded if Naruto had tripped off the face of the Earth and into the formless void.

"No." The other man refuted mildly. "Puerto Rico... Do you know why?"

Sasuke titled his head even farther and stared off into the darkness, a slender finger reaching up to rub the bridge of his top lip. "He has family there- a Grandmother... I've only met her once, briefly, at the wedding…Scary woman."

"Her name is Tsunade. Originally from Madrid she left Europe on health missions to third world countries. Eventually ten years passed and she just never left. Uzumaki's father, Minato was born there but came back to Spain when-"

"His Uncle Jiraiya left him his fortune." Sasuke continued a bit confused with where Shikamaru was going with this. "I know all this already Shi-"

"Yes," The brunet concurred. "But what you _don't_ know is that while Uzumaki-san was in Puerto Rico with his grandmother he was being treated by her for severe depression and _anorexia nervosa_... He was bedridden for three months."

The crystal glass still half full of vodka tumbled out of Sasuke's hand to land unheeded into the thick flooring. Wait-

"_What_?" His body had spun him around and Sasuke's slender pale fingers were gripping the edge of the desk so hard his knuckles immediately began to ache.

"What?" he repeated, eyes wide. "Why- How- You can't be-"

"Sure?" the other man asked, coughing slightly. "I am. I've spent enough time hacking hospital files to know if I'm being duped. He was bedridden for eighty nine days. No one but a man named Konohamaru could get him to eat for anything."

Sasuke swallowed hard, his mind racing. The smooth silk of his shirt was suddenly scratching his skin into scales and the air around him in the cooled office was more stifling than the Uchiha could ever remember. Naruto had- Naruto had been in the _hospital_ after their divorce? Sasuke winced. Not even hours after the ink had dried on the papers Sasuke had, with a determination to prove himself as anything but the house rat Naruto thought him to be, thrown his entire being into destroying Japans' social scene. Never before had the media gotten such amazing stories of one of the most reticent men in the country.

"…There's more, isn't there." Sasuke stated his head numb.

Shikamaru paused and glanced down at the manila envelope still unopened. "Yes…should I tell you or would you prefer to read the contents yourself?"

Moments passed while the young man made his decision. Sasuke licked his parched lips but nodded. "Not…not everything. Just the most important…I'll read it later when I get home."

The young genius nodded and cleared his throat, his body already aching for a cigarette but his mind respecting Sasuke's wish to not have his leather smell like the interior of a woodchip factory.

"One day he just snapped out of it. Got out of bed, ate a four course meal, checked himself out and booked a flight back to Spain in less than two hours. The doctors couldn't figure it out."

_That's because they're fools_. Sasuke thought. The Uchiha needed to waste no brainpower figuring that one out- he knew. Uzumaki Naruto had this thing inside him, this resilient, never dying urge to live and to experience everything possible that drove him incessantly onwards. The blond's convalescence must have ripped him to shreds until he'd finally found the strength to get back up again. That spirit, that lust for life, was a good portion of what had drawn Sasuke to him in the first place.

Unfortunately, it was also what had driven Sasuke mad when Naruto refused to just…just settle and be still for a moment…ever.

"Back in Spain," Shikamaru continued lowly, "he literally restructured everything- sold his home in Valencia, moved to Ibiza. His company underwent restructuring too- all business matters were routed through him when before he'd been content to let his Managers do the grit work."

And Sasuke knew why _that_ had happened too. Whereas he had been content to throw himself into booze (privately of course) and hermitage, Naruto would have turned all his nervous energy into work- something productive. The blond was such a bloody fucking, positive minded saint that way.

Asshole.

"And then?" He asked, body dreading what he was about to hear. The only possible thing left was about the blond's social life and Sasuke really did not want to hear about who the blond had been with after him.

Shikamaru paused, wary. "…I think, you should read the rest for yourself. Comfortable as I am living in your life this is something you should do alone, I think."

The Uchiha rolled his stiff neck and stood, subtly stretching his suddenly stiff muscles and thinking to himself.

"Fine. I'll read it. But get a handle on the bloody press will you? I won't wake up to having those vultures camping in front of my lawn- not again goddamnit."

Shikamaru smiled and handed the short haired man the folder and his jacket. "It used to be so much easier when you could just shoot a man dead if he insulted your honour."

Sasuke rolled his eyes slightly amused. "And what would you know of those days, youngling?"

The Nara scowled. "Get out. Go home. Watch Pirates again."

"How did you-"

But the infuriating man had already slouched his way through the door and Sasuke resolved to have Suigetsu sweep his house for bugs.

(***)

He had promised himself he wouldn't…really, he had… but the second Sasuke stepped foot through doorway into the darkened foyer- yes Sasuke wasn't much a fan of sunlight, what of it?- the Uchiha deposited his briefcase in the couch, slung his rumpled jacket over the banister leading upwards to his master bedroom, kicked his shoes of half way down the hallway and, by the time he was staring at the cabinet in his bedroom, Sasuke had already pulled the dark jewelry box out from its hiding place and was staring at the cold wood blankly.

It was a beautiful thing, some Victorian contraption of white ash and inlaid silver and slivers of mother of pearl that his mother had given him as one of his wedding presents. Sasuke had cherished it once, had hidden his most secret and loved things into the red silk and velvet interior. Unfortunately, after the divorce-

-and since when the bloody fuck did everything in his life only belong to one of two eras: Before Divorce and After Divorce?-

-the beautiful box had been banished to the back of a glass closet taken out only once a year before being tersely shoved back in.

Sasuke's pale hand drifted up and traced the old, white wood before swallowing and opening the hinges lid.

His eyes caught and held on the dark golden glow shimmering out from the very bottom.

Threaded through by a length of smooth, lace like leather and gleaming up from the darkness like buried treasure was the solid gold ring that had once adorned his left hand for two years.

Sasuke stared at it.

"_It's plain, dobe"_

"Ah, si..._ but I figure you wouldn't want the one with the fairy lswirls on it and all the tiny pink diamonds so-"_

"_If you'd dared give me pink diamonds I'd have shoved it up your ass."_

"_Splendid then, because oddly enough, I can think of something better to get shoved up my ass…or well…yaknow…your ass really."_

"Sir." A quiet voice interrupted.

Sasuke jerked awake and like a truant child caught with his hands in the jam snapped the box shut fiercely and unceremoniously shoved it to the farthest corner of the cabinet before spinning around and meeting the mild gaze of Suigetsu.

"There's someone at the door for you sir."

Sasuke ground his teeth- he was not in the mood.

Stalking past the butler Sasuke trod back downstairs and headed towards the kitchen intent on filling the gaping maw in his stomach with something other than air and bad memories.

"Who is - you know what, I don't care. Tell them I'm dead."

"Very well, Sir." Sui drawled.

Sasuke had just passed the archway into the kitchen when he heard it.

"My apologies good sir but Master Uchiha has informed me to tell you that he is currently dead. Please check back at an hour when he has seen fit to resurrect himself and-"

Sasuke slapped himself in the face and swore to god that he would one day fire that man.

Sighing the Uchiha spun around and crossed the darkly carpeted walkways in bad grace; his lips pursed in annoyance and face sour.

Reliving the door from his mad butler Sasuke yanked the thing open wider and grated.

"Wha-"

But the noise died in his throat.

It was about an entire minute before Sasuke could blink and break his dead locked stare with the iridescent blue eyes standing on his doorstep.

The last thing Sasuke thought morosely before his temper flared was, '_I should have seen this coming._'

"Uzumaki Naruto," Sasuke ground out, eyes narrowed into slits. "What the fuck do _you_ want?"


	3. Confrontations in D Minor

**Title**: Dearly Beloved

**Chapter Three: **Confrontations inD Minor

**Pairing**: NaruSasuke, NejiShikamaru, KisamexItachi,

**Rating:** NC-17

**Warnings**: (for the entire fic not necessarily this chapter) Angst, Snark, sex, heartbreak, love, divorce, plot, making up, snark, sex, love, slash, mentions of femmeslash, sex. Some more snark….Oh…and sex.

**Disclaimer**: No, I don't own Naruto. Goddamnit.

**A/N:** Naruto is Spanish and I will be using Spanish phrases in here- nothing to overwhelm you and nothing that context clues won't help you figure out. And don't tell me I can't mess with his ethnicity- I can do whatever I want damnit. Moreover, my knowledge of Spanish is middling- and I use Caribbean Spanish. If any kind loving Spaniard spots oddities just tell me.

**A/N2**: And just a side note, when the bloody hell did this degenerate from a serious fic into a comedy. –snort- I never knew my own writing would cause me to fall to the floor laughing.

* * *

><p><em>Relieving the door from his mad butler Sasuke yanked the thing open wider and grated.<em>

_"Wha-"_

_But the noise died in his throat._

_It was about an entire minute before Sasuke could blink and break his dead locked stare with the iridescent blue eyes standing on his doorstep._

_The last thing Sasuke thought morosely before his temper flared was, 'I should have seen this coming.'_

_"Uzumaki Naruto," Sasuke ground out, eyes narrowed into slits. "What the fuck do you want?"_

* * *

><p>The taller man's full lips twitched. "To pay my respects to the dead, apparently…Are you going to invite me in?"<p>

"No, not really." Sasuke seethed. How the bloody hell could his day possibly get any _worse_?

"What do you want Uzumaki?" Sasuke fumed. "And who knows you're here?"

The man shrugged broad shoulder clad in what looked to amazingly soft dark blue cashmere.

"No one. But you're a hard man to find Uchiha Sasuke. What happened to our house?"

Sasuke's paranoia had kicked in the second the blond had said no one knew where he was. If there was one hard lesson the Uchiha had learned is that if you were in their social circle and so much as spat on the sidewalk in bat country then there was someone who had seen it. Immediately Sasuke's shrew eyes picked up about five parked cars along the length of the neighborhood road that could easily have paparazzi in them. Grunting with ill grace the Uchiha yanked open the door.

"Fine. But only because I don't want anybody seeing you moping around my bloody door like the little match urchin."

Naruto bowed his head and stepped inside, the brief moment by which he passed Sasuke enough to flood the Uchiha's senses with tendrils of that wood smoke cologne that usually made Sasuke's mouth water. Swallowing hard Sasuke forced the memories back and allowed himself to get angrier.

"Well?"

Naruto was blithely ignoring him and ambling his long legged way slowly around the spacious foyer, his eyes roving over carefully framed paintings, blood red mahogany bookshelves and the mantelpiece spread of photographs of Sasuke's mother and brother.

"You still haven't answered my question." The blond asked, leaning in to inspect a photo of Itachi taken a few months ago at an art gallery. "What happened to the house?"

Sasuke bared his teeth to the turned back.

"An unfortunate accident with a few bottles of tequila and a scented candle."

Naruto turned his head over his shoulder to eye the raven with an incredulous blue orb before snorting. "Must have been quite a few bottles of Tequila to take down a three story house. Were you drowning your sorrows?"

"Celebration my freedom, actually. Unfortunately, it got out of hand."

But that was only partially right. Sasuke just wasn't going to tell him that he had started as celebrating before moving on to drowning his sorrows before accidentally burning the living room to nothing. The less Naruto knew the less it hurt Sasuke.

The blond spun around on his heel and braced himself against the opposite wall. Burnt gold lashes fluttered as the tall Spaniard, absent these long years, allowed his eyes to rove over Sasuke's body in a way that made the Uchiha feel like he was being stripped of every piece of cloth, thread by useless thread.

"_Te has cortado el cabello."_ The man murmured in that low, smoky voice of his that went through Sasuke like hot air and strong liquor.

Sasuke's knowledge of Spanish was middling to nothing, his entire knowledge of the lilting, musical foreign tongue a byproduct of having a Castilian man whisper hot burning phrases into his ears while he was laid out on a bed and ravished- but he knew enough basic grammar and verbiage to understand the simple sentence the man had just uttered.

"Yes." Sasuke agreed gratingly, his own eyes catching sight of his reflection in a mirror on the mantle and once again causing him to cringe slightly. "I did cut my hair."

Naruto pushed off from the wall and in three strides had invaded Sasuke's personal space in a move that sent far too many odd feelings through the Uchiha to enumerate.

"Why?" Naruto asked again, the deep husk in his voice genuinely curious as a tan hand reached up in an attempt to trap one of the short, spiky black strands. Sasuke jerked away from the prospective contact as though he'd been slapped in the face.

"Not that I owe you any explanations but I didn't like the man I was seeing in the mirror."

Sasuke's eyes were involuntarily drawn to the sardonic tilt of coral lips. Naruto's shadow was coming in; a golden brunt of thin down that Sasuke had once loved to feel abrasive against his own smoother skin. Since he himself was genetically almost hairless as a newborn babe Naruto's facial hair had been a fetish for the Uchiha, causing Sasuke to nip and mouth along the prickly edges until his soft lips were scratched to puffy tenderness and only soothed when an amused Uzumaki would suckle and kiss the bruised swollen pieces of flesh for long moments afterwards.

But that memory was neither here nor there because Naruto was fucking talking again.

"If you ask me Sasuke, you hate this reflection even worse…or was that flinch because you were cold?"

Sasuke glared. "What the fuck do you _want_ Uzumaki?" he hissed, his anger surging through his veins like mercury and fire. "If you've come here just to taunt me then take your bloody ass back through the door and fuck off back to the Himalayas or Atlantis or wherever it is that you're jet setting off to these days. I don't -"

Naruto sighed and held up on hand flat in a placating gesture while the other tan hand massaged the bridge of his nose. "I didn't come here to fight you Sasuke."

The Uchiha paused, his entire being literally vibrated with anger. "Then _why_ are you invading my bloody foyer?" _and my life!_ Sasuke queried suspiciously.

Naruto grinned a lopsided smile and Sasuke resolutely ignored the flash of something that clawed up zombie-like from a cache of memories and old feelings that quite frankly he'd had enough of dealing with for one day.

The blond shrugged broad shoulders before holding up his left hand that contained a slightly squished manila folder that reminded Sasuke immediately of the one sitting in the couch in his briefcase not fifteen feet away from the man standing opposite him.

"Nothing much really." Naruto replied mildly his mellow tone deceptive. "I just want to know what I did why you're suing me all of a sudden."

Somewhere in the other end of the city an old man began to have a coughing fit.

Sasuke stared at the Uzumaki like he had finally lost his mind.

"Come again?" he drawled.

Naruto's blond brows skyrocketed. "The lawsuit that I found on my desk this morning? A suit for defamation? Pile of papers with legal gibberish threatening me with jail? Ringing any bells."

And suddenly Sasuke just fucking knew. "No." he grunted, "but this sinks of my father to high heaven."

"Ah yes." Naruto rolled his eyes before tossing the pack of papers to a side table and spinning on his heel to go over to a large French window. "Dear old Dad. How is the old dragon anyway?"

Sasuke furrowed his brows. "Don't call him that." He murmured automatically.

"What should I call him then?" Naruto asked lightly running his fingers over a gilded pane. "Busybody? The shadow over my back? The poison at the bottom of my coffee?...The master of my marriage?"

Sasuke had been observing Naruto run his long digits over blasted everything. Naruto always had been an extremely tactile person, the blond claiming that he learned things best by doing them with his hands. His incessant need to touch had secretly fed a desire deep in Sasuke for constant attention but the Uchiha had always complained about it. His ego couldn't handle it enough to admit that he liked cuddling and mindless touches.

"My father did not run our marriage." The brunet gritted out.

"Of course not." Naruto replied, eyes falling to half-mast in blatant mockery. "It was some _other _decaying sexagenarian that told you the only way to operate a marriage was to control your spouse."

Sasuke desperately wanted to do something juvenile like plant his fist into the smug bastard's face- that or just stomp his feet and _scream_.

"If I had _had_ a bloody spouse then I would have been able to-"Sasuke shook his head. No. He was better than this. He would not be revisiting this state of constant sniping that the two of them had perfected into a fine art form.

"Enough Naruto. Leave the bloody papers. I'll get to the bottom of this."

"I'd love to know how." Naruto queried his lips thin. "Clearly you still have no say with him if he can just file lawsuits on your behalf without your knowledge. When are you ever going to run your own life Sasuke?"

"Don't you _fucking_-" Sasuke stopped himself for a second and groaned.

Why was it always this way? Why? Why couldn't Naruto ever fucking see? Why was it so hard to just try and understand the duty Sasuke had to his family? Ever since Itachi had broken free the chains had tightened around Sasuke like the maws of a great dragon, teeth closing in inch by resolute inch. Naruto had never understood, never even fucking tried to maybe see it Sasuke's way. Never cared about the pressure Sasuke was under- never offered even a little sympathy, always grating on and on about free spirit and being true to himself and all kinds of bullshit.

The Uchiha swallowed painfully.

"No. No we are not doing this. Not today- not ever. Everything has been too much today."

Ignoring the man's presence in his foyer Sasuke blindly set off back down the hallway towards the kitchen. His stomach was gnawing itself into a mass of ulcers and Sasuke was so fucking tired that he couldn't think.

Yanking open the double doors of the fridge the Uchiha scouted quickly and snatched out a container of leftover spaghetti something that had smelled heavenly when Suigetsu had prepared it two days ago.

Shoving the thick plastic into the microwave Sasuke slammed the thing closed and jabbed some random button.

The machine beeped and spluttered rebelliously.

Sasuke glared.

An exasperated sigh came from behind him and Sasuke glared harder as a tan hand reached out from behind him, soothed the machine and after reaching inside to slightly tug the hard blue cover off, closed the door and pressed the button. The machine hummed to life and Sasuke resolved to destroy the traitorous pile of circuitry at the earliest opportunity.

"Valiantly continuing your never-ending war with the kitchen appliances I see."

"Fuck you." Sasuke grunted without energy from the kitchen island. "It's not my fault I wasn't raised with a spatula in one hand and a mop in the other."

"More's the pity." Naruto murmured dryly, fingers drumming on the granite top. "Would have done you some good to learn to clean up your own messes."

Sasuke turned to stare at the intruder incredulously as the microwave beeped. He couldn't _believe_ the sheer size of the balls on this man.

"Naruto," Sasuke growled, his left eye twitching dangerously. "Get out of my life!" he snapped.

The blond just rolled his eyes unimpressed before dumping the hot container in front of the fuming Uchiha and producing a fork out of nowhere.

"As soon as you tell your darling daddy to get out of mine." Naruto perched himself on a stool. "Now sit down before you burst another blood vessel. Here, eat."

Sasuke took the fork unceremoniously before shoveling hot food into his mouth, the perfectly seasoned beef somehow tasting almost like ash to his taste buds.

Naruto propped his golden head up on a corded wrist and stared at him.

Sasuke stared back.

Naruto cocked a brow.

"Oh I'm sorry." Sasuke cooed sweetly. "Where are my manners? Would you like something? Some spaghetti perhaps? A sandwich and a beer maybe?... Poison?"

Naruto's lips twitched. "I'm allergic to the last one."

"Medical condition?" Sasuke queried sarcastically. As he began liberally dousing his food with ground spices.

"No…just an aversion to creating corpses, especially when it's my own. And stop that," Naruto grunted yanking the shaker away from Sasuke. "You know how your sinuses get with pepper."

The Uchiha just grumbled and went back to his food.

Silence reigned in the darkening kitchen for a very long time then. It was the kind of silence where there was a bit too much to say but nobody wanted to be the first sucker to open their mouth and point out the pink elephant in the room. Evening was fast growing into night and the vista from the window was showing a deep blue twilight that would eclipse all natural illumination in a few minutes.

Aggrieved with the oppressive stillness Sasuke swallowed hard.

"Look." Sasuke sighed, his entire being suddenly very serious, his fingers stabbing absently at a morsel of food with his fork. "It's late, I'm tired. If you stay near me we'll argue…just leave….I promise I'll take care of it. Really"

The answer he got was a very level stare from dark blue eyes and a sigh from full lips. In a rare show of frustration the blond passed his large tan palm through his hair, scrubbing at the golden locks.

"Jesus, Mary and Joseph." Naruto muttered.

Sasuke snorted and the Uzumaki gave him the hairy eyeball.

There was another long pause.

It was night now.

"Hey Sasuke…" The blond voiced lowly, his stunning visage turned in profile to stare out the window. Naruto had a few lines along the corners of his eyes. Sasuke noted; probably stress.

"Hn?" He replied, determined to be civil.

"…Do you remember how we met?"

Sasuke shrugged. "Yeah. We have my bloody Uncle Madara to thank for that- him and his machinations. "_Say nephew, have you met this disgustingly rich man over here?_." He mocked.

"Hey." Naruto defended mildly a smile flirting along his coral lips "I like Madara."

"You would." Sasuke grunted, standing to deposit his plate into the sink.

"Why don't you get a maid?" Naruto asked all of a sudden. "The butler's fine but you need a feminine presence around. Get a maid like everyone else."

Bloody fucking Naruto, Sasuke thought. Him and his catholic ideals.

"But Naruto," Sasuke mocked, "I don't want to be like all the other girls."

The blond stared at him for an incomprehensible moment before, in a jerky motion, he kicked away from the table eyes suddenly harder. "Why do you always have to shoot down every simple suggestion I- you know what. Fuck this." Naruto said shaking his head. "I was stupid to think I could carry a conversation with you."

The aggrieved Uzumaki spun on his heel leaving Sasuke to watch the man's broad back disappear around the corner. Stunned, Sasuke blinked for a moment. What the fuck was his problem? This had been one of their much milder conversations as far as everything went.

Tossing down the blue towel he'd been drying his hands on Sasuke stalked out after him with stiff limbs. Naruto was just about to open the door.

"Where are you going?" he queried.

"To Mars." Naruto returned snidely. "Where do you _think_ I'm going?"

The Uchiha pursed his lips and leaned against the back of the couch. "Wouldn't surprise me actually." Sasuke tried for nonchalance but anger laced his tone like acid. "Probably the only place in existence you didn't leave me to run off to like I was some kind of contagious lepe-"

The Uchiha stopped dead when Naruto spun around to face him his blue eyes wide.

"…what?" Naruto asked his voice low and incredulous as the half confession that had slipped unbidden from the Uchiha's lips.

Sasuke stepped back, afraid. "Nothing. I didn't say anything. Bon Voyage Naruto. Get the fuck out."

Cobalt orbs narrowed as a muscle worked in the man's jaw. "You'll _never_ learn to share your true feelings, will you?"

"Why darling haven't you heard, I don't _have_ feelings." Sasuke grated, spitting the words Naruto had one day angrily told a reporter right back at him.

Naruto threw up his hands. "Will you _ever_ let that go?"

"As soon as you stop darkening my doorstep."

Naruto released an impressive stream of Spanish that Sasuke was positive was all soul damning curse words.

"Goodbye Sasuke." The blond grated darkly as he stepped out into the darkness.

"Die in a fire." Sasuke replied congenially before slamming the oak so hard the door rattled on its hinges.

Minutes passed and the Uchiha allowed his body to slump, weak as a newborn kitten's against the smooth wood.

What the _hell_ had just happened?

Light danced off the cut crystal chandelier hovering just above Sasuke's head and the weak sparkles left the Uchiha heir feeling cold. For a moment there, just for one tiny moment in the kitchen, something had seemed like it had changed. Like there had been a small shift in the cosmic order that decreed Naruto and Sasuke to be bitter enemies. For just one second…just _one_ _fucking_ _second_…

"Sir?" A voice asked quietly from the left.

Blinking rapidly to clear his vision Sasuke turned to find the concerned face of Suigetsu staring at him, dark brows furrowed in worry.

"Is…everything alright, Sir?"

The Uchiha managed a weak smile and a shake of his head. "No…nothing is alright Suigetsu…Foolish me just keeps forgetting that at the end of the sparkly magic the white stallion turns back into a fucking donkey."

The blue haired man eyed him like he had just sprouted a second head.

Not even bothering to try and explain Sasuke heaved himself up and snatched up the package Naruto had deposited as he passed on his way up the stairs.

"Goodnight Suigetsu." He called softly.

"Goodnight Sir." The man replied, voice mild and disappearing as the Uchiha entered his chambers and sat down heavily on the made bed.

* * *

><p>"Father." Sasuke asked as soon as the man answered the phone. "What do you think you're doing?"<p>

There was a pause.

"Currently," Fugaku drawled, "I am preparing for bed."

Sasuke lost his temper. "That's not what I meant and you know it! _Why_ are you suing Uzumaki?"

"Sasuke, I-"

"He was just here do you know that? In my _house_ Father. In the one place I had that was free of him- all because you've done this!"

"I apologize that he was able to harass you at your home Sasuke." Fugaku returned sagely, "He was only able to contact you because the restraining order didn't come through, but in light of this I-"

"Restraining order!" Sasuke shot back incredulously, his hands trembling as he held the slim phone. "Father what on _Earth_-"

"I am trying to protect both you and the family, my son." The man returned, his voice taking on that impatient tone that Sasuke knew very well, it was the one Fugaku used when his peons weren't grasping his orders quickly enough.

"That man is a threat to all that we hold sacred. Don't you query why he is back in Japan? He is determined to harm you and your reputation Sasuke. Take heed and let me-"

"That is _not_ why Uzumaki is back, Father." Sasuke sighed, his entire soul tired.

"Then what –"

"No, enough. I've had _enough_. Retract the suit immediately or I will be contacting mother without prejudice."

There was silence and shuffling for a while and the youngest Uchiha was gratified in the knowledge that his mother was not aware of Fugaku's underhanded machinations and crazy paranoia.

"Sasuke please, see _sense_."

"I do Father." Sasuke replied bitterly, "I've more _sense_ than I know what to do with. Leave this alone please. Just let him do whatever it is he has to do to get out of my life faster."

Fugaku didn't answer –but then again Sasuke hadn't really expected him to- and the tired twenty six year old took the elder man's silence for acquiescence. "Goodnight Father." Sasuke said just before he hung up the phone.

* * *

><p>That night, for the first time in a very long while, Sasuke dreamed of Naruto.<p>

It was inevitable, he supposed. The entirety of his past 48 hours had revolved around the bloody man, why would fate ever have mercy and leave Sasuke's dreams free of him too. The dream was one of those bloody nuisance memories that had taken it upon itself to spring from the miry depths of Sasuke's recollection to the forefront of his mind's eye.

_They were at the lake house, the Uchiha noted as he stared through a glass pane to the hazy blue yonder beyond. It was one of those weekends early in their marriage when both of them used to fight tooth and nail to take off somewhere far from the madding crowd to just be with each other._

_Hard arms encircled his waist and Sasuke-still conscious of the dream but unable to do anything but follow the actions of his twenty two year old self-grasped the tan limbs and smiled even though on the inside he desperately wanted to run away._

"_What are you looking at?" Naruto murmured._

"_Nature,"_ Sasuke remembered even as his mouth reformed the words he had uttered so long ago. _"The mass of dirt and trees. Why are we out here again? "_

_Naruto's warmth was seeping through the back of his clothes and into his skin._

"_For romance. For seclusion…." The man chuckled softly, "For the very big bed in the next room."_

"_Ah, now I remember." The Uchiha teased back good naturedly_. Sasuke-on-the-inside blankly recalled those days when all their teasing had been good natured and not desperate attempts to scrape each other raw like it had become in the final hours.

"_Couldn't we have just stayed home and locked the doors?" Sasuke queried as he pressed farther back into the blond's arms inhaling deeply of the scent that he would always associate with his husband. _

"_Nope." The blond shot back blithely, his larger from beginning to rock with Sasuke slowly from side to side. "Can't always stay home you house rat." He continued tone light._

Sasuke-on-the-inside cringed when he remembered what was said next. Unable to shift the pattern the words formed on his resistant lips.

"_Silly moron," Sasuke petted, "Home is wherever you are."_

_He was being spun around slowly until his cheek pressed against the broad chest._

"_Why? Because I love you to death?"_

Yes_._

"_No. Because you cook my meals."_

_Naruto's laughter rang out long and amused. "My master, I humbly serve."_

"_Down on your knees and revere me." Sasuke had smirked upwards, the sly expression sifting to softness when the blond slid down to his knees, eyes earnest._

"_Always," Naruto murmured gently against his belly. "Always Sasuke."_

Sasuke-on-the-inside threw himself against the edges of his mind, desperate to escape.

"_Always…"_ slithered out of the dream and echoed into his conscious hearing.

Sasuke awoke to find himself on his side, his pale left hand stretched out to the other half of the empty white bed.

It was four oh three in the morning.

His bed was empty.

He was divorced.

His pillow was wet.

"Perspiration." Sasuke reasoned to himself as he shifted over to the other side of the bed and closed his eyes again.

* * *

><p>Sunday passed in silence.<p>

* * *

><p>"Master Uchiha." Suigetsu called through the door Monday morning.<p>

Sasuke pulled the blanket further over his head.

"Master Uchiha." Suigetsu called again.

Sasuke just grunted stubbornly this time.

"Sir, your brother Master Itachi is on the line. He says if you don't pick up the phone immediately then he will give me permission to sell your organs to science."

Sasuke dragged the cordless receiver from his nightstand and pressed the blinking button.

"_What_?"

"Good morning to you too, you ill-mannered heathen." Itachi's deep voice drawled from the other end.

"Itachi I swear to god-" Sasuke groaned, scrubbing at his grainy eyes. He had only managed to fall asleep fifty minutes ago.

"Get up and start preparing yourself to trot of to work little brother."

"I'd rather stab myself in balls. How's Bali?"

A soft chuckle came from his thirty year old brother. "I don't know. I haven't seen the outside of the hotel room yet."

Despite his half dead body, his shit emotions and his tired mind Sasuke found himself genuinely smiling for his brother. When Itachi had finally had enough of Fugaku's imperialism the older male had turned his back and walked out to pursue his true passion-the violin. Aided by the peculiar band of misfits the Uchiha had adopted along his adult life Itachi had struck out on his own and, like King Midas, everything the man touched turned to gold- the classical musician was set to release his debut CD in November.

"Hulking lover man keeping you busy huh?" Sasuke yawned.

"Kisame is not hulking." Itachi replied mildly.

"He's five times your height." Sasuke teased back.

A small pause.

"Speaking of significant others…" Itachi started.

Sasuke just closed his eyes.

"…I hear Don Quixote is back in town."

"I will never understand why you call him that." The younger sighed. "Yeah, he's here. Crawled out of the ether like some ghost come to haunt my shriveled soul."

"What does he want?"

Sasuke opened his mouth to answer but no words came. "I…I don't know actually."

"Regardless," Itachi sighed, "You need to get up and face the world."

"When are you coming home?" Sasuke sidestepped.

"The more prudent question would be 'when are you coming here?'. You need a vacation."

"Vacation?" Sasuke yawned. "What's that?"

Itachi snorted. "I need to go. Kisame is waving the massage oil at me."

"Run along then. Wouldn't want to miss that."

"No, I really wouldn't." Itachi replied. There was a shifting on the other end of the line before Itachi came back.

"Oh and baby brother… you know I'm always here for you right?"

The youngest Uchiha smiled. "Yeah, I know."

Itachi said goodbye and the phone line went dead.

Sasuke contemplated the merits of just telling work to go fuck itself. In the end he dragged his ass out of bed and headed across the room. Moments later Suigetsu appeared at the doorway to Sasuke's bathroom, his long, black clad arms laden with clean white towels and his gaze flat.

"Oh dear, you're up." The man mused forlornly, "How unfortunate. Now I have to call the hospital back and tell them not to bother.

Sasuke grabbed his towels and slammed the door in his smirking butler's face.

* * *

><p>TBC<p> 


	4. Balancing the Axis

**Title**: Dearly Beloved

**Chapter Four: **BalancingtheAxis

**Pairing**: NaruSasuke, NejiShikamaru, KisamexItachi,

**Rating:** NC-17

**Warnings**: (for the entire fic not necessarily this chapter) Angst, snark, sex, heartbreak, love, divorce, plot, making up, snark, sex, love, slash, mentions of femmeslash, sex. Some more snark….Oh…and sex.

**Disclaimer**: No, I don't own Naruto. Goddamnit.

**A/N:** Naruto is Spanish and I will be using Spanish phrases in here- nothing to overwhelm you and nothing that context clues won't help you figure out. And don't tell me I can't mess with his ethnicity- I can do whatever I want damnit. Moreover, my knowledge of Spanish is middling- and I use Caribbean Spanish. If any kind loving Spaniard spots oddities just tell me.

**Also**: I feel like I should apologize (_again_) for the extreme lateness but I've been doing too much of that lately I think. My entire health went to shit for months and I had to recover and let my computer go for a while. Updates should be a bit more regular these days. My thanks to all those who have sent me such amazing reviews and wishes for me to get better. Even if I haven't (yet) replied to you, please know that I cherish them very much and each one of them have comforted and encouraged me. Cheers.

**Moreover**: If anyone is interested there actually is an (informal) playlist for this thing. _ The list, courtesy of my psychic iPod) is as follows:

If You Only Knew - Shinedown

Rolling in the Deep – Adele

King of Anything – Sara Bareilles

For the First Time - The Script

Over and Over – Three Days Grace

Lay Me Down - Dirty Heads ft Rome

Pray for You - Jaron and the Long Road to Love

Meant to Live (the instrumental)- The String Quartet

Please Don't Go – Mike Posner

September - Daughtry

Back to December –Taylor Swift (*grimace* I hate this genre but the song is ok- kinda)

Half of My Heart - John Mayer

Cooler than Me - Mike Posner

**One more thing:** Apparently plot has crept its way inside here. I don't know where it came from and it won't go away. *shrug*

* * *

><p>Through the elegant constructions of glass and teak wood that was the third highest floor of the building Sasuke glared at the wide chrome doors to the meeting room like it had threatened to sever his manhood.<p>

"I'm sorry Haku," he stated shaking his head refusing to accept what he had just been told, "run that by me again?"

Patiently, the calm young man nodded. "The preliminary meeting for the annual assembly of board members in a week will begin in ten minutes. The executives have met all deadlines and prepared all presentations regarding fiscal growth and company expansion over the past four quart-"

Sasuke grit his teeth. "Yes, yes-that I understand. Get to the part where Uzumaki is sitting in my goddamn boardroom at nine am in the morning."

Haku just stared at him like he was a particularly dense infant. "Sir…Uzumaki-san has a forty percent share in this company's profits. Ever since the merger between both conglomerates the split in divisional revenue ensures his presence."

Sasuke's lips thinned. How… _convenient_.

"Uzumaki has been content to allow his proxy Inuzuka Kiba to handle the meetings for two years. Why is this conference different?"

"It is my understanding," Haku replied mildly "that Inuzuka-san is currently suffering from Gout."

Sasuke was grinding his teeth to dust. Gout. Fucking Gout. Perfect.

Slowly the darkly dressed mogul deposited his briefcase on the gleaming wood of a mahogany side table and raised the venti latte to his mouth his agile mind lost in thought.

Something was clearly going on- of that much he was sure. In the space of a week the blond had not only appeared at the nation's biggest fund raiser, but had also turned up in Sasuke's home and was now sitting in his boardroom. The bastard was up to something but the Uchiha just didn't know what.

It was Wednesday morning and the media madhouse that had spiraled upwards after Friday's fundraiser was hanging suspended in the air like a feather waiting for any gust of scandal to blow it one way or the other. Shikamaru had done an admirable job of leading the press towards the business side of their relationship rather than their personal one but regardless of the mild misdirection Sasuke was still feeling the tension.

Any action on his part now- such as storming into that room and demanding Uzumaki to leave or (quite possibly) just tossing his scalding coffee into his tan face- would no doubt cause the balance to tip over and the backlash would undeniably fuck him up the ass.

"Haku," Sasuke turned softly, "Are all the board members assembled?"

"Yes." The assistant replied before reaching over and handing Sasuke a binder. "Currently they are individually reviewing the proposal from MandaCorp."

Sasuke sighed and forcibly relaxed his jaw. He couldn't see his face but Haku could and the slightly pained glimmer in his dark eyes framed by the tightly tensed lines of stiff facial muscle gave the younger male a short but fervent desire to comfort him. Knowing his advances would be unwelcome Haku merely stepped to the side and swept a graceful arm forward.

"Sir…they are waiting for you."

The youngest Uchiha raised his head and recollected his briefcase.

"Yes," he muttered. "Right."

Sasuke strode through the doorways his step brisk and his entire bodily demeanor stating quite clearly that he was all business.

Thirteen, impeccably dressed men and women were assembled in the large, tastefully furnished dark wood and leather room. Most of the board members were already relaxing in deeply cushioned chairs, the oblong table before them littered with papers and half empty carafes of coffee and juice- but a few others were grouped in small gatherings near the wall length windows on the east side of the room.

Sasuke gave a brisk greeting and was rewarded with equally serious replies. Even as he settled himself at the master end of the monstrous table and began assembling his documents Sasuke could feel those eyes. They bore into him from the other end of the room- blue like fire- piercing, waiting and just _daring_ him to look up.

Unable to resist the challenge Sasuke raised his head and met the blond's eyes with a regal stare. Naruto was in his place at the other end of the table flanked by two of his more senior managers that the Uchiha recalled were named Genma and Raidou. The blond one had been something of a child star phenomenon in his younger years before he had mysteriously dropped the glamour life and gotten degrees in business. Raidou was his husband of twelve years. That fact along had shocked the hell out of a good number of people when their hiring had been announced since it wasn't practice to place married couples in the same firm- especially in positions as high as theirs were. Naruto had just smirked impishly when the news had broken and never once deigned to explain himself.

Now the blond's eyes were so very blue and so very level on Sasuke that the Uchiha stopped breathing for a minute- just a tiny minute mind you- before something passed between them.

Their ability to communicate without a solid word or gesture had always served them well in the boardroom and now was no different. Naruto's blank face and level eyes were quite plainly offering a temporary ceasefire- their lack of emotion telling Sasuke that inside this room they had no history- it was strictly business.

And Sasuke was grateful.

"Welcome." Sasuke stated calmly, the superb acoustics in the room carrying his voice evenly to throughout the large area. "The preliminary meeting to the summit is hereby called to order."

Sasuke paused to allow his eyes to flicker to each member.

"It is my pleasure to see you all again. In a week we, along the senior managers of the thirteen departments of this conglomerate, will meet to plan and streamline the direction to be taken for the new fiscal year. Today we finalize the schedules for that week. I believe," Sasuke continued voice level as he stared hard at the head of the Human Resources Dept who had spearheaded some colossal cock up or other the last year, "that we have done this enough for the mistakes of the past to not repeat themselves."

Murmurs erupted in the room but were silenced with a look from the heir.

"Moreover, presented to you are the details of a proposal made by Orochimaru Senjin of MandaCorp. You are free to peruse them and the final vote will be taken at the end of the summit next week." Sasuke swallowed. "Uzumaki-san, your addition."

Naruto didn't miss a beat.

"Growth in revenue last year was unprecedented. " The blond's full lips twitched. "I'm sure we all appreciated getting a bit hideously richer."

Chuckles ran through the room and the tension rippling along the edges of the air like static currents was eased somewhat.

"Regardless," Naruto continued, his spun gold brows lowering, "the rate of national and worldwide economic recovery is still troubling. To continue our success new strategies must be employed and all avenues of niche marketing examined for viability."

A throat was cleared and Naruto turned towards the graying man. "In the event of a double dip in the economy the option of downsizing is still-"

"I don't blame my employees for the failures of their bosses." Naruto cut in quietly, his blue eyes chip of steel. "You should know me by now Higurashi-san."

Silence.

Against his will Sasuke felt the edge of his mouth twitch upwards- bastard or not the blond had a fierce and immovable honor.

"Yes," the head of accounting replied. "My apologies."

A flicker of eyes and once again Sasuke was staring into those interminable blue orbs. The Uzumaki cocked his head slightly to the left and- after a second- Sasuke minutely inclined his own."

This…they could do this.

* * *

><p>It wasn't intentional- not on Sasuke's part anyway- but as he watched the others file out of the boardroom four hours later the Uchiha found himself alone in the large space sharing air with his ex.<p>

The brunet finished organizing his folders and stood to leave- but couldn't.

Naruto was in the same position he had been in since morning- sitting back in an oddly slouched but regal position, one long arm resting along the armchair's curve and the other curled up to prop up his jaw. For once however those blue eyes weren't staring into Sasuke's innards but were trained out the windows on his right.

A beat.

"The suit?" The blond queried mildly.

"Retracted." The heir responded just as succinctly.

Naruto turned towards him, his brows were furrowed and his jaw looked braced for a confrontation. Sasuke stiffened as he readied himself to parry whatever came out of the man's mouth next. What he got was one of the last things he was expecting.

"I will not allow an alliance with MandaCorp."

Sasuke was struck dumb for a second before his eyes flitted down to the black and red proposal binder resting- closed and untouched- before the Uzumaki's seat. Unbidden Sasuke took a step towards him.

"What? Why not? Orochimaru's company is a respectable shipping megacorporation with footholds in more countries worldwide than we do."

Naruto snorted and shook his head his cerulean eyes bearing the look of a patient parent with an ignorant child.

"Footholds in more countries yes- and tentacles into their underworlds to go along with it."

Sasuke blinked and frowned. "Are you implying that he's a criminal?"

The taller male stared at him for a very long moment before getting up and crossing the room in unhurried strides before stopping –as ever- far too damn close to the Uchiha's person for Sasuke's comfort.

"You really don't know." He stated lowly.

The brunet was getting annoyed. "Know _what_?"

"Orochimaru is a pit snake. The cargo holds of his freighters are lined with weapons that don't exist and end up in civil wars that we turn our eyes blind to."

Sasuke glared. "There has never _once_ been any form of accusation, scandal or court-"

"No," Naruto cut of sharply, "But you have never been to a third world country where they break the snake branded boxes open and remove M16's."

The onyx eyed male stepped back like he had been slapped.

"How do you-"

Naruto gave him the eye. "Long summers spent traipsing around _barrios_ behind my grandmother who has treated enough gunshot wounds to know where they came from."

Sasuke felt like his head was swimming. How could he not have known this? When he had been approached by the company Sasuke had thought it a stroke of genius. The power Orochimaru held in the marine world was so immense that it was frankly insane. Sasuke had analyzed every aspect of the man's dealings and found him a corporate genius. Should Orochimaru's Middle Eastern ships refuse to sail for just one week half the continental US would have been out of an oil supply.

"Proof." The stunned Uchiha grated out through clenched teeth. "Do you have _proof_?"

The blond's eyes went hooded, liquid and mocking. "Why," he queried his husky voice pitched low and his eyes a swimming blue ether that made the Uchiha stop breathing- _again_. "Don't you trust me?"

'_The billion dollar fucking question to life and existence'_ Sasuke thought sourly.

"Not as far as I can throw you." Sasuke replied turning to gather his things.

Naruto snorted and Sasuke turned around to find that the blond had stepped back.

"The summit is in a week." Sasuke stated his teeth on edge. "If you can get me solid proof before then- we'll talk."

The other man snorted again. "How? A casual e-mail? Your cell phone number is more secret than what actually happened at the Kennedy assassination."

Sasuke shifted his weight and refused to acknowledge the death grip on his case currently rendering his knuckled bloodless.

"Get in touch with Haku. He will schedule a-"

And then _goddamnit_ Naruto was in his face _again_; the swirling vortex of his eyes shimmering with annoyance while the smoky scent of the blond's personal fragrance crashed over Sasuke's senses like a particularly malicious tidal wave.

"Don't _play_ with me Sasuke." Naruto growled from low in his throat, his warm breath skittering up Sasuke's skin and raising the fine white hairs in its wake. "I will _not_ go through your secretary to speak with you."

Collecting himself with iron casted will Sasuke tilted his head up to glare defiantly.

"No," he whispered voice tight with pain. "But I had to go through _yours_ to see _you_. When you were boating down the Euphrates I had to go through her to see you. When you were with the monks in Tibet I had to go through her to see you. When they found you poisoned with snake venom in Australia I had to go through her to see you."

Sasuke's eyes flittered up from where they had been staring dispassionately at Naruto's chest and found that though Naruto didn't move an inch but every line in his body tensed.

"Don't you think its turnabout is fair play for once?"

The blond's eyes closed slowly and when he opened them Naruto offered him an odd looking half smile before deliberately stepping back and bowing in acknowledgement of the honest rebuke.

He spun on his heel to leave and Sasuke- for the fucking life of him- didn't know why or when he moved but, before he could think, his arm was wrapped around a solid bicep hidden beneath layers of black Alexander McQueen.

Slowly the blond turned to face him.

Without a word and before his courage (or insanity) shriveled to dust, Sasuke met the other man's gaze steadily while reaching a hand across the broad expanse of Naruto's chest, slipped it under the silken lapel and slowly extricated the slender cell phone that he knew would be there.

Not a word passed between the two as the Uchiha- with shockingly stable fingers- punched in the numbers for his personal cell and home lines before offering the phone palm up back to its owner.

Still just as silently Naruto took it.

And then they looked at each other.

Uncomfortable with the weight of too much accusations and too little left unsaid they turned away.

Sasuke was just at the door when he heard it.

"Mikoto-san…is she home?"

Sasuke paused.

"Yes," he returned finally. "Mother returned from Hokkaido two days ago."

Naruto still wasn't looking at him, those sea blue eyes turned back out the window and his hands shoved deep into his pockets. "May I see her?" he asked quietly.

It had always touched something deep within the Uchiha whenever he witnessed the bond between his mother and his love- ex, _**ex**_ damnit- ex lover. Naruto's parents had died when he was ten and the loss had left a continent sized hole in the man's psyche. During their marriage the Uzumaki had, with an unfailing and fierce determination, treated Sasuke's own mother like she had given birth to the blond herself. Even now- years after their separation- Mikoto's birthday, Mother's Day and Christmas never passed without a gift and an enormous bouquet of Stargazer Lilies presenting themselves.

Sasuke knew the two kept in touch but he had never wanted to know the details and his mother had never offered.

"It's not my place to give permission one way or the other." Sasuke replied lowly. "You know Mother loves you- ask her yourself."

Naruto's reply was cut off by the low but clear ringing of his cellphone. The other man's mouth opened as though to say something but he turned his attention to the incoming call instead. Grateful for the distraction the pale Uchiha slipped out of the office without another word.

* * *

><p>Naruto frowned and forced himself to relax the grit of his teeth as he turned his attention back to the cell phone and pretended he could still feel the warmth of his past lover's fingers on the stone cold metal.<p>

The high definition of the screen lit up with a familiar sequence of number. Unable to resist, a smile tugged at his tense mouth and he slid the device up before placing at his ear.

"Hey you." He murmured lowly, knowing the other person's dislike of loud noises.

A seductive feminine laugh filtered in from the other end of the line, the trailing notes lilting up into the little giggle that always betrayed the woman's hard assed exterior.

"Hey yourself blondie. I'm just checking to see if you've survived."

Naruto's long legs took him over to the window bay and his eyes scanned the streets below without really seeing them.

"Against your many greusome predictions of death and armageddon, yes- I am relatively unscathed."

"Relatively, he says." The woman smirked.

The cerulean eyed man rolled his neck and winced at the sharp pops of bone. "Relatively." He agreed.

"That sounded nasty. Why you always let yourself get so worked up over that son of a b-"

"Please," Naruto murmured, fingertips massaging his closed eyes as he tried to avoid another highly detailed and explicit dressing down of Sasuke Uchiha and all his ancestors. "Don't."

The woman paused and there was silence for a moment before Naruto heard the shifting and rustling of cloth and a small groan. Immediately the man's golden brows furrowed in worry.

"I'm such an ass- how are you feeling?"

The low laugh came again. "Tired…sore in places I haven't been in a long time. I blame you Blue-Eyes."

Naruto smiled fondly. "I accept my responsibilities. What can I do to make it better?"

The woman hummed and from the contented purr in her voice once could tell that this was the opening she had been waiting for.

"Why don't you come over tonight and bring a bottle of wine. We'll trade back-rubs."

The Uzumaki shook his head before turning back towards the door and palmed his briefcase before heading out of the empty boardroom and towards the elevator that would take him to the roof parking lot.

"How about I stop at the store instead and get some ingredients for my _paella_ that you like so much."

"Ooohh...It's a date Blue-Eyes. And bring your guitar too- let's make a night of it."

Naruto unlocked the door to his Bugatti Veyron and sank into the plus interior, the weight of the day already starting to fall from his shoulder at the prospect of the pleasurable night to come.

"Give me a few hours." He promised, grinning to himself when the other playfully grumbled back.

"You've got the fastest sports car in existence, what do you need a few hours for?"

Naruto smirked, as the machine purred to life beneath him like a jungle cat. "Well I _was_ going to go to that small patisserie over in Shibuya that you like so much and get a few truffles but if you don't _want_ heavenly chocolate then I suppose-"

"Yes. Do that. Go do that now- And why the hell haven't I married you yet?"

This time Naruto actually did laugh. "Sorry dollface, I've developed an all-consuming and thoroughly debilitating fear of marriage. Been put off for life."

"And fuck that Uchiha for corrupting one of the few good ones left too. Goddamnit, go get my chocolate Blue Eyes. I'll just sit here and finish this Voodoo Doll I've been working on."

The blond smiled and headed unto the highway. "Of course Mistress, of course."

* * *

><p>Sasuke let himself through the open doors of Neji's penthouse without so much as a 'By Your Leave'. The brunet had just drifted out of his stainless steel and chrome kitchen to see the tight lipped Uchiha before rolling his eyes and leaning against the archway that separated the two room.<p>

"Neji," Sasuke groused, "I need a favour."

There was a pause as the other considered. "Welcome Sasuke. Please, do come in. And remove your shoes darling, you look exhausted.

Sasuke's left eye twitched before he obediently removed his shoes and stalked past the cinnamon haired lawyer into his impeccable kitchen.

"Not in the mood Hyuuga- I need something done and done fast."

Neji didn't even blink, choosing instead to pluck up a watering can from the counter and serenely go back to hydrating his banzai trees.

"I see you're talking to me again."

Sasuke glared daggers as he pulled open one cupboard after the other.

"I'll send you the roses and diamond earrings tomorrow- and where the _hell_ is your Scotch? Not the good one mind,- the one we used for paint thinner the last time Hanabi thought you needed fuchia bathroom walls.

Neji merely pointed one delicate finger. "Has it ever occurred to you that you're a shameless alcoholic? It's two in the afternoon."

"It's five _somewhere_."

Mildly annoyed Neji watched as his oldest friend poured two fingers worth of blood poisoning into a shot glass and downed it.

"What can I help you with?"

"I need an investigation into Orochimau Senjin. Not the surface level inquiry and book reading thing- I need you to call in some help from your less... _savory_ clientele."

The lawyer contemplated. "Alright. But you know this won't come cheap. I've heard rumors from some associates in the Attorney General's office about this man myself."

Sasuke shrugged a shoulder. "Money is no object- just do it quietly and cleanly. And Neji- I want you to work with Shikamaru on this."

The Hyuuga titled his head as he tried to reacall the name. "Shikamaru is your genius child labourer yes?" he asked. The heir to Hyuuga & Hyuuga replied, trying to place a name to a face.

Sasuke hummed, his long fingers reaching up to unknot the tight stranglehold of his tie. "My Public Relations Agent officially."

"And unofficially?"

Sasuke just smirked.

"Very well Uchiha. I'll have a dossier available for you as soon as I am able."

The darker haired male shook his head. "I need it in four days."

Neji paused, "And I need old Hiyashi to drop dead immediately- I can't work miracles Sasuke. Why so fast?"

It pained the other male to have to admit this but the stern look in Neji's moonstone eyes made him sigh and avert his eyes.

"Uzumaki is already ahead of me in this knowledge. It was he who brought the man's corruption to my attention."

Patiently the Hyuuga forced his voice to not come out sardonic. "So why not just ask him for his information."

"And have him feed me a bunch of bullshit along with it? No thanks, I'll get my own data and compare it. I've had enough of him spoonfeeding me lies, thank you."

The Hyuuga shifted in his silken lounge pants for a moment before he made his decision and steeled himself to follow through with it. Knowing that he was stepping himself into a minefield Neji was determined to make it to the other side intact.

"Sasuke," he asked levelly, "When has Uzumaki lied to you?"

Sasuke moved in degrees, exactly like an automaton that hadn't been oiled for far too long and left to rust. "Excuse me?"

The Hyuuga contemplated his perfectly manicured nails for a minute. "It has been three years Sasuke…not once have you spoken frankly to me or anyone else for that matter about what caused the break. What happened Sas…what did he do?"

The Uchiha's eyes had hardened to chips of black flint. "He's a fucking bastard- what more explanation do you need?"

"I don't believe you." The Hyuuga countered lowly.

Sasuke erupted.

"What do you _want_ from me Neji? _What_ damnit? The whole sordid story of how I was too pathetic enough to keep my husband from running away from me every two weeks? You want to know how it pissed me off to wake up alone at three am to find him missing and some pink haired cunt sneering at me that I can't talk to him because _Naruto-kun_ was too busy? Or perhaps you'd prefer to know how he forced me to choose between him and my own flesh and blood ever damn day- and you know what the fucking kicker was- no matter what I chose I was always wrong!"

Sasuke's breathing was harsh and tripping by the end of his mini tirade and his fingers were trembling in rage. Even though the reasons he had just acidly spat at his friend were the lower level pains, they still hurt none the less. He wouldn't…couldn't…tell him the others. He couldn't bring himself to say how discarded he felt every time the blond chose some remote destination on the other half of the world than spend a few hours alone with him. Sasuke felt like he had just regurgitated broken glass, the rough shards tearing his throat and mouth to bloody slivers.

Neji swallowed but pressed once more. "He didn't…Naruto didn't hit-"

The Uchiha's laughter was coarse and incredulous. "Hit me? _God_ no. He wasn't present enough to hit me." Sasuke's smirk turned nasty. "I did throw a lamp into the side of his face once though."

Neji's long fingered hand came up to his temple. "The fox like scars on his cheek."

Sasuke hummed as he poured himself another shot of alcohol. "The next morning I woke up to find that the bastard had scratched a matching set into the other cheek and was thanking me for making him look more dashing."

Against his will Neji snorted in amusement. That truly was classic Uzumaki.

"What did you do?"

"Burned his Yu-Gi-Oh card collection."

The Hyuuga found himself in a fluctuating cross between terribly amused at the childlike behavior his friend had gotten up to and sad at it.

"And then what did he do?"

Sasuke pressed the cool crystal to his temple and allowed his eyes to flutter closed. 'I don't remember." He whispered.

_Liar,_ his memory taunted him.

_He took you into his arms and kissed you senseless before making love to you for days until you were both sobbing ''sorry''._

Sasuke ground his molars into a strong imitation of lockjaw. "Regardless, have you had enough of using my sordid life for your sick amusement?"

The taller man reached a hand over and gently brushed slender fingertips against the back of Sasuke's bloodless -and still trembling- hand. He left them there in silent commiseration before retreating them.

"I'll have the dossier for you in four days."

Sasuke nodded, tired. "Shikamaru will contact you. I've already given him your information."

"Leaving me at the mercy of a man-child, Uchiha?"

Sasuke shrugged, "Why not. You've left me at the mercy of Suigetsu all these years."

Neji detached himself from the table and took Sasuke's shot glass to the sink in a silent refusal to allow him to have anymore. "Suigetsu came highly recommended."

"That's what they said about George Bush too. Look how well _that_ turned out." Sasuke rejoined snarkily.

Ignoring Neji's rebukes Sasuke fished his cell phone out and scrolled through a list of contacts.

"Master Uchiha," a collected voice on the other end greeted. "Good Evening, Sir. How may I be of service?"

"I'm going out tonight. Gas the Ferrari up for me would you…and find those leather boots Itachi sent me last year."

A pause.

"You mean the ones you asked me to drop down the darkest, deepest, soul devouring hole I could find?" Suigetsu confirmed mildly.

Sasuke's brow twitched. "Yes, those ones. So go fetch them from that shelf in my closet, and by the way- the pun was not appreciated."

"Of course Sir- anything else?"

"Yes- you can prepare dinner but put it in the fridge, I won't be eati-"

Unfortunately Sasuke was silenced by the most ungodly squealing that he had ever heard in his life echoing from the other end of the line.

"Suigetsu…" Sasuke asked carefully, "_What_ was that?"

There was a slam of a door, a kick, a scuffle and a solid thump like the sound of a flesh meeting cement. After an ominous moment of silence Suigetsu returned to the line.

"Apologies Sir…I may or may not have just accidentally run over some unfortunate creature while coming back from the dry cleaners."

Sasuke paused before deciding that no, he just didn't want to know.

"Have dinner ready but put it in the fridge." He returned, "I'll have it later. Whatever you want to cook is fine."

"Of course Sir." His butler replied mildly.

It was a second before Sasuke realized that the blue haired male hadn't hung up at the moment he normally would have.

"Suigetsu…is there something else?"

There was another pause and a soft thump.

"Sir, how exactly do you feel about partially tenderized raccoon me-"

Sasuke just hung up.

TBC


	5. Paint the Town Red

**Title**: Dearly Beloved

**Chapter Five:** Paint the Town Red

**Pairing:** NaruSasuke, NejiShikamaru, KisamexItachi,

**Rating**: NC-17

**Warnings**: (for the entire fic not necessarily this chapter) Angst, snark, sex, heartbreak, love, divorce, plot, making up, snark, sex, love, slash, mentions of femmeslash, sex. Some more snark….Oh…and sex.

**Disclaimer:** No, I don't own Naruto. Goddamnit.

**A/N:** Naruto is Spanish and I will be using Spanish phrases in here- nothing to overwhelm you and nothing that context clues won't help you figure out. And don't tell me I can't mess with his ethnicity- I can do whatever I want damnit. Moreover, my knowledge of Spanish is middling- and I use Caribbean Spanish. If any kind loving Spaniard spots oddities just tell me.

**A/N2**: Just so you all know- my absence doesn't mean that I haven't been posting. In fact, during the past two weeks alone I've put up a thirteen thousand word oneshot, a six thousand word oneshot and about eight art pieces. I'm writing like a fiend- it's just that the pieces I'm focussing on now are commissions that are long overdue and that I mostly post on YGallery _. I won't ever abandon FF net though- just gimme some time and let me get them off my chest 8D

**Also:** And by the way- the vast majority of reactions to Naru amuse the hell out of me. I love all you darling reviewers- you make me smile lol.

_This chapter continues right where the other one left off. Same evening and everything 8D_

* * *

><p><em>(*)(*)(*)<br>_

The club was called the Onyx and Sasuke had more clout there than probably the man who owned the damn place.

It was a three story affair- the bottom two floor often referred to, quite blandly, as 'the club' and 'the other club." Sasuke was after the '_Other Club'_ tonight- the lowest level of the three, recessed into the earth like a basement and containing more of his kind of scene- black leather furniture and blue lighting. The lowest level was where the animals went- those who had come clubbing more to find a partner for the night than any other kind of entertainment.

He ignored the line completely- the heavy clump of his black leather boots a clear signal that Uchiha was not in the mood for games. He walked right through the entrance, smirking at the appreciative and downright lustful glances flung his way but Sasuke didn't stop for anyone- not the slides of greedy hands across his tight belly, not the blatant invitations of parted legs and certainly not the rippling muscles of the meathead in the coat check leering at him.

He passed through the second level quickly, his mouth twisting in disgust at the pulsing bass of the hyper produced, boy band garbage the speakers were thumping to the silly masses writhing under multi-coloured lighting. The elevator took him down and opened to a smooth darkness that calmed his aching eyes.

It was cool down here, the furniture black leather and silver chrome- the lights blue and level- and the music dark and sexual.

Sasuke headed straight for the bar.

"Bailey's Martini." He ordered- feeling in the mood for less harsh alcohol and more smooth cream. "Driest gin you have, please."

The bartender- a tall muscle bound man about Sasuke's age with deep eyes and a shock of mad hair- nodded and palmed the dark bottle. Waiting for his order Sasuke clasped his hands behind him and pulled, a moan reverberating from his black silk clad chest as the tight muscles pulled and released.

"Long day?" A voice purred, the affected tone trying desperately to be seductive.

The dark haired Uchiha barely turned his head, his left eyebrow slipping up into his hair as he stared incredulously. This twink was trying to pick him up? Like…seriously? The short boy in front of him looked less like a man and more like an embryo- what with his ridiculously peacocked hair styled into a fauxhawk and gelled into iron looking spikes bleached white.

Sasuke palmed the drink that the bartender- Juugo he believed his name was- and cocked his elbow on the table.

"Shouldn't you be home with your mother?"

The little thing bristled and Sasuke felt his amusement level rising by the second as the youngling seemed to go sharp around the edges like an angry cat with an arched back and descended claws.

"I'm twenty-three!"

Sasuke choked into his drink. "Sure," He added snidely, "And I'm Mahatma Ghandi."

The pissed teen opened his mouth again but a deeply exasperated sigh interrupted him.

"For the love of Christ kid- go home and stop playing with matches. You haven't earned your big boy pants yet."

Both Sasuke and the kid spun turned to face the newcomer who was standing just behind the Uchiha.

And Sasuke's eyebrow inched up in curiosity.

He was tall, tall like Neji, but instead of the Hyuuga's sleek refinement this man was pure rugged rogue. His hair was as red as dried blood and fell in choppy spiked down to his chin which was sporting a slight auburn scruff- just enough to get the feel of " artfully unkempt'. His body was lean but broad through the shoulders and he was dressed like he had just parked his Harley not less than five minutes ago. His jeans were destroyed- but that didn't fool Sasuke- the Uchiha knew a pair of high end Tru Religions when he saw them.

"Well, you gonna beat it or what kid- if I don't get Kirov into my system in the next three minutes I'm going to turn nasty."

The boy swallowed hard but- and Sasuke had to give him his props for this, weak as they were- the kid held his ground and glared.

"I was here first- go find your own entertainment."

The others heavy eyebrow twitched. "It's that blue bottle right over there and you're standing between me and it- now move kid, before I contract your stupidity by osmosis."

The boy flounced off, his hips swaying like there was an earthquake going on.

"Cunt." The other muttered before stepping up to the counter and braced his arms on the shining silver. "Triple shot- Johnny Walker- Blue label."

Sasuke couldn't resist. "I though you wanted Vodka." He murmured, his lids lowering on their own accord as he appreciated the way the man's forest green shirt clung to his well-defined and- judging by the dark swirls edging up his neck- tattooed chest.

The other turned slowly towards him, his lips pulling up to flash a set of white teeth and rather vampiric looking canines.

"Children cause my IQ points to drop. I rescue them with booze."

Genuinely amused Sasuke laughed, lifting one leg to perch himself half on the bar stool and stretching out his other in a move that he knew would lengthen the entire line of him into a smooth curve.

The light in the club seemed to shift and a particularly flattering beam fell on the redhead's face illuminating his eyes. Sasuke gasped softly- they were as green as Chinese jade- sharp and intelligent with the barest hint of sadism that caused the verdant eyed to glow.

As sharp notion of familiarity stuck the Uchiha like a strike to the face.

"I know you." Sasuke husked lowly, head tilting slowly to the side, and slivers of inky black slipping across his eyes as he tried to place the strong, angular features before him to a name or a place that kept flittering out of his mind. "Don't I?"

The taller man's smile curled ferally at the edges causing ever sense in Sasuke's body to scream both 'Danger' and 'Want.'

"You know _of_ me perhaps- I have…a bit of a reputation. Didn't you notice the bartender trying to motion you away from me?"

Sasuke's lips pursed, gaze flickering silent barkeep before it returned to the stranger, all of him utterly and unashamedly intrigued with his wild looking companion.

"Are you _really_ that bad?"

The auburn male snorted a laugh into his drink before he threw his head back and drained it. For all the strength in the world Sasuke's eyes refused to stray from the bob and sink of that Adam's apple and the curve of a smooth neck.

"I'm _worse_, actually."

Sasuke knew these symptoms- he knew them well. He knew what the smirk he was fighting to hold down meant- he knew what it was when he would shake his head and look away as he took a sip only to hold his breath as he felt the other's gaze…he knew exactly what it was why his belly was tight and why his entire body seemed poised on the edge of a knife.

He knew what attraction was- he just wasn't sure that he still knew what to do with it.

"I didn't catch your name."

Animalistic emerald eyes regarded him with clear amusement while the other's full lips curved into a teasing smirk. "I didn't say."

Sasuke's eyebrow climbed up a bit higher- he liked this…he really did.

"Very well then- no names." He shrugged, nonchalantly, refusing to be the first to give.

"Well then no-name," the other quipped, "Since we're both just sitting here doing nothing, how about hitting the floor?"

Sasuke, as pleased as he was by the suggestion, made sure to slowly turn and stare as his drink to make a point.

"I was enjoying my martini."

The other blatantly leered. "You'll enjoy me more."

The Uchiha couldn't contain it- his head fell forward into his chest and he laughed hard, his shoulders shaking in mirth as the alcohol worked its magic on his inhibitions and removed all his previously solid ties to 'giving an actual fuck about his stoic image'.

"A dance, you say?"

"Mmhm- over there." He added, jabbing a finger towards the dance floor that was nothing but a mass of writhing bodies. He paused for a moment, pursing his lips ridiculously before sliding an eye to Sasuke with a squint.

"Fair warning though- most times, when I dance, I get charged for lewd behaviour."

And that was it. Sasuke was utterly charmed.

Polishing off his drink the Uchiha held out a hand.

The other's grin was dangerous as he took it an pulled the Uchiha into him, bending his head down to brush his mouth across Sasuke's ear, his warm exhale of alcohol tinged breath sending shivers down the Uchiha's spine.

"Now about that name…"

* * *

><p>(*)(*)(*)<p>

Sasuke- was hard.

His erection was minutes away from tearing a hold through the thick inseam of his leather pants and the heat skittering over his skin was warming him down to his core.

He was dancing, his back pressed to the stranger's front and his arms raised above his head to wrap around the neck of the man who had a solid hold on his hips and was circling his own pelvis into the swell of the Uchiha's ass.

The redhead was attached to Sasuke by the neck, the other's mouth working nipping and sucking bruises up and down the back of the Uchiha's neck as his hands smoothed and rubbed every available inch of the darker haired male's skin.

"Damn," the other husked, his voice barely audible from the sound of the music unless he spoke with lips pressed right into Sasuke's skin, just as he was doing now.

As per usual- the action cause Sasuke's sensitive skin to respond, the fine hairs rising as his body pumped more adrenaline through his veins.

"What?" Sasuke groaned, his arousal and alcohol threading together inside him and causing his mind to feel like it was afloat.

"If you fuck like the way you move then your other lovers must be dead."

Sasuke laughed again, long and loud before spinning himself around and nestling his body against his partner.

"My _**other**_ lovers?" He teased, emphasising the word and its insinuation that the green eyed male was included within the list.

Jade eyes went innocent looking. "What? You mean we're _**not**_ a match made in heaven? But- I mean your ass like _perfectly_ level with my-"

Sasuke raised his brows. "Your previously assaulted IQ points?"

"Er…yeah- let's go with that."

Smiling and pulling himself in closer Sasuke opened his mouth and breathed along the line of his partner's neck. Their hips were rolling together now; torsos swaying and pressing tightly together and wet wanting lips barely inches apart. The redhead kindly provided a knee between Sasuke's thighs for the Uchiha to ride and the shorter male took full advantage, pressing his erection into the solid limb and groaning as large hands dropped down to palm his ass and squeeze.

"I bet you have all the other models pissed."

Sasuke shook his head, eyes closing as he snickered. Where did this man _come_ from?

"I hate models- they annoy me." He teased back just to get the other man's reaction.

"Ffft- yeah- I hate those fuckers too. Airheads, the lot of 'em."

"Hmmm…I like Bikers though."

The other's eyes lit up? "Really? Cause I've got this Suzuki-"

This time Sasuke laughed so hard that he had to cling to the other for support. He felt…

He felt…

He felt – _amazing_.

For the first time in so long there was nothing negative constantly swirling around him like a miasma - no worry, no stress- no watching over his back every second of the day. No anger, no resentment- no work, no files, no crooked businessmen, no black tie.

Sasuke felt free for the first time in such a long while and, desperately, the Uchiha grabbed his one chance with both hands damning the consequences and swearing to himself that he would make the most of this.

His hand was over his mouth trying to hide his grin but Sasuke knew that his dark eyes were swimming with mirth, even as he looked up into the other's face and was rewarded with an obscene and ridiculous eyebrow wiggle that sent him into further silent paroxysms.

Reaching up he brushed fingers across the scruffy cheek, a shudder running through him at the feel slight abrasion even as the green eyed male turned and captured the questing finger with just the barest edges of his teeth.

Want flared through Sasuke's long deprived body and he tilted his head to the left as he made his decision.

"Want to get out of here?"

His reply was a strong suck to his captured thumb that sent lightning straight through his body to his cock and the blowing of dark pupils until green orbs were nothing but pools of black surrounded by the barest emerald.

"Baby- I thought you'd never ask."

"Why? Were you worried that you'd get old?" Sasuke asked, taking the others rough hand and leading them away.

"That," the man sniffed, "And that I'd lose my girlish figure."

The night combusted into laughter and Sasuke's soul flew.

* * *

><p>(*)(*)(*)<p>

Naruto's jaw was working as his mind skipped from one problem to the next before he slammed; face first, into the same mental blockade that he had been shoving fruitlessly against for the past two hours. He wasn't getting anywhere with this and his Real Estate Agent, solicitor and accountant wanted their various answers and instruction in less than half a day.

In all honesty- Naruto thought as his eyes flickered back to the large twelve by twelve shots of an enormous suite- the loft was perfect for him. It was a large, modern open spaced design complete with a spec-fucking-tacular view of the skyline and completed with minimalist furnishing. It was the quintessential 'Bachelor Pad'- the piece of estate that all conventions of society said he needed to complete the look that his flyaway blond hair, open buttoned Alex McQueen and purring Bugatti said he should have.

But… if it was so perfect…why couldn't his eyes stop straying towards the other…why was he drawn to the sprawling two story farmhouse just on the edges of the city, complete with an entire face front yard of sterling white lilies and the picket fence to match it. This homeliness wasn't him- he didn't do quaint- at least…not anymore, not since…

Well…not since a long time.

Naruto sighed and pushed away from his desk, his bare feet padding along the deep pile of the rich chocolate brown carpeting and his brilliant blue eyes dulling slightly with each step as he entered his bedroom. It was barely dawn, the skies over the city an unsure cross between smothering grey and soft blue. Naruto stared out the window for a moment, a small wan part of him realizing that he had been doing that a lot lately.

His previous evening has been so enjoyable- for the first time in so many weeks he had been able to relax and let his hair down. He had been able to enjoy a soft bed that didn't feel like it was swallowing him in its emptiness and company that didn't glare at him with angry hate or curious flashes. But that had been last night- over more than eight hours ago in fact. Right now he was back in his borrowed penthouse suite- a collection of earthly toned rooms graciously lent to him by the owner- Hinata Hyuuga, when she had learned of his return and subsequent lack of a home base.

Heading into the bathroom Naruto flickered on the lights, approached the sea green vanity and stared hard at himself dead in the eyes.

"Stop fooling yourself man. You know why you want it."

A beat.

Lips tight Naruto, in one decisive more, grasped the hem of his beige T-Shirt and ripped it over his head, tossing the garment carelessly into a corner even as his eyes latched onto the small object pressing against his chest that weighed approximately the same as a damned soul and a tower of brick and iron.

Abruptly turning away form his own accusing glare Naruto quickly finished stripping and stepped into the glass shower, head bent as the warm water cascaded over him- plastering his blond locks to his head and heating the object dangling from finely twined gold around his neck.

In the silence words, clearly remembered from a day in his past, resurrected themselves zombie-like and filtered to him through his mind…

"…_Dearly Beloved, we are gathered here today to celebrate the union of these men-"_

Silently Naruto's large tan hand reached up and closed around the golden ring that he had worn there above his heart for so very, very long.

Again Naruto felt like such a vile sinner.

_"… Santa María, Madre de Dios, ruega por nosotros pecadores, ahora y en la hora de nuestra muerte …._"

Visions of Sasuke flittered through his mind- unfettered.

"_Why_." The blond mourned to himself without words. "_Why couldn't you understand Sasuke…why could you see that I was protecting you? I did everything I could…just to keep you alive….your father…he's so much more of a bastard than you think he is…Christ Sasuke- why couldn't you see the danger we were in…that _**you**_ were in_-"

Suddenly, he could hear his phone ringing from the other room.

Steeling himself Naruto pressed his lips together and shut the water off, not even grabbing a towel as he strode through the room, dripping wet. The sun had risen and Naruto was mildly shocked at the amount of time he had spent in the shower…and hour and a half at least.

The phone had stopped ringing for a moment, but before he could check the number it sprung to life again vibrating mildly in his palm. Ignoring the screen he brought the digit up and sliding the black and silver device up he pressed it to his ear.

"Uzumaki Naruto speaking."

There was a pause.

"…_Have you seen the front page yet_?"

Naruto went completely still. "Who is this?"

"_Doesn't matter – have you seen the front page yet_?"

Anger surged through the blond and his body became as cold as ice. Stalking over to his bedside table he flipped his Mac Air open and stabbed it awake.

"Which paper?" he demanded, voice going dangerous.

A harsh laugh followed ending with a snort. "_**All**__ of them_." The mystery voice replied before the line went dead.

Grasping the phone so hard that the device creaked under the pressure, Naruto brought up the browser and immediately accessed the website for _The City Crier_.

The front page was one for the ages- the picture emblazoned there in high resolution the opus of the perfect shot- one in a million- and worth as much as a small nation.

Sasuke stared right up at Naruto from the pulsing LED surface of the screen in ultra-high definition and painfully sharp resonance- the smile on his face utterly amused and beatific, even as he was pressed to the chest of a redhead that Naruto hadn't seen in years, both bodies twined together like cobras. There was light in his eyes, just as bold and brilliant as the headline:

'**Uchiha Paints the Town Red- Literally**.'

Without a word Naruto brought his cell phone back up to his ear and jammed a finger to a button, his steady blue gaze rigid and unmoving from the surface of his laptop.

"…Hello?"

"Gaara, old friend. How are you?"

There was suspicious pause. "…What's wrong Naruto?"

"Nothing," the blond replied mildly. "Mind telling me why the fuck your eldest miscreant of a cousin is back in town and slow dancing with my husband?"

The pause was longer this time.

"I did not know that Shukaku was back in Japan….rather in the same manner that I did not know that _you_ were coming back to Japan."

Naruto lost it.

"Well it's just one big fucking family reunion, isn't it?" He snarled a fist slamming the laptop shut, his entire form spinning on his heel as the rage built and clawed at his oesophagus.

"Calm down Naruto- I'll get to the bottom of this."

The taller male just laughed dryly.

"Give me some time." The Sabaku replied, his voice soft and as deadly as usual, just before he hung up. Naruto's didn't even put the phone down as he was dialling again immediately.

"There's either a fire in your bedroom or it's the apocalypse." Sakura quipped without preamble.

"There's about to be a homicide." Naruto growled.

"What happened?" the astute secretary asked, deadly serious.

"Some fucker though it funny to bring the daily news to me personally."

There was silence for a while and Naruto heard the clicking of keys while he suspected Sakura was bringing up her own digital incarnation of the paper.

…

"…Oh my."

The blond snorted. "Find out who did it- and bury him."

"And Shukaku?"

"Leave that fucker to **me**."

* * *

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In all honesty, Sasuke really didn't care that everyone on the face of the Earth was smirking at him. Suigetsu alone had a grin on his face that could rival the Cheshire cats- but then again- Suigetsu was an ass, so he probably didn't matter.

"Hungry, Sir?" he had asked drolly this morning when the Uchiha had come down for breakfast.

"Famished." He had replied with a yawn.

Promptly Suigetsu placed an enormous bowl of milk in front of him. Sasuke stared at it before glancing back up at the butler, before returning to the bowl- not all parts of him sure that it wasn't arsenic.

Glancing back up the inky haired male cocked a dark eyebrow and waited.

Blithely, Suigetsu pulled open a rolled up newspaper from under his arm and displayed the front page with an exaggerated flourish. The sexual tension between the two men displayed there blasted from the page like a visual attack to the corneas.

"Milk- to replace all that protein you lost last night, of course."

Sasuke's eyes narrowed. "…You think you're hilarious, don't you."

Sui merely smirked and glided out of the room before Sasuke regained his faculties and tossed the entire thing into his skull.

"I almost went into stand-up comedy."

That had been three hours ago and now; everyone else in the world was being an ass. Sasuke found himself unable to care though- last night had been the most fun he had been party to in unquestionable ages. Fuck them all if they had no lives- his was coming along just fine.

He hadn't even answered his father this morning on his commute to work- a savage part of him smirking in triumph as he tossed the ringing cell into the passenger seat, his ears enjoying ever tone that signalled Fugaku's mounting frustration.

The doorman had smirked at him and Sasuke had returned it.

The receptionist had smirked at him and Sasuke responded with a wink, amused beyond measure when the poor thing exploded into red blush.

Accepting a cup of coffee from a smirking – sweetly of course- Haku the Uchiha turned on his heel in the foyer and was about to step into the elevator that would bear him up through the levels directly to his office when another of the transport machines bayed beside his own dinged loudly and Uzumaki Naruto, flanked by Genma and Raidou, stepped out.

Time paused for an eternal second second as Sasuke's eyes briefly met the blond's fiery blue ones before flickering casually down the Uzumaki's dove grey clad form as he strode past.

His sharp gaze lingered on the folded Broadsheet currently being suffocated under the Uzumaki's right arm.

Naruto tensed and his jaw went mulish as he stomped away, his electric blue eyed narrowed into slits.

Sasuke smirked.

Let him take that and suck on it.

_**Twat.**_

* * *

><p>(*)(*)(*)<p>

A.N: Ha, Sasuke finally has some fun and Naruto's sucking lemons. Don't you love the world lol.

1. So- Kinda a short chapter but my muses demanded that I leave it there. Rather nice ending don't you think? lol. The other chapter makes up for it though- promise.

2: Many of you are asking me about what exactly Naruto/Sasuke did wrong- I am deliberately not telling you everything at once because I believe in plot development and I don't want to spoil the story because I've got it going just the way I want it. Suffice to say that the reasons are numerous and convoluted- like all things in life are- and that there is no one magic bullet that shattered them.

3: Also, I have deliberately made you all biased in terms of Sasuke's point of view and I laugh my ass off at the amount of people up in arms to defend poor Susu. Defend him all you like lovelies- I love him to death and he needs some defending.

…But please keep in mind that Naruto has a side to this too- as this chapter clearly shows. Don't judge him too harshly just yet.

4: And as for the woman?- Well…wouldn't you like to know –smirk-

TBC


	6. Interlude

**Title**: Dearly Beloved

**Chapter** **Six**: Interlude

**Pairing**: NaruSasuke, NejiShikamaru, KisamexItachi,

**Rating**: NC-17

**Warnings**: (for the entire fic not necessarily this chapter) Angst, snark, sex, heartbreak, love, divorce, plot, making up, snark, sex, love, slash, mentions of femmeslash, sex. Some more snark….Oh…and sex.

**Disclaimer**: No, I don't own Naruto. Goddamnit.

**A/N**: Naruto is Spanish and I will be using Spanish phrases in here- nothing to overwhelm you and nothing that context clues won't help you figure out. And if you can't figure it out then you weren't meant to anyways.

And don't tell me I can't mess with his ethnicity- I can do _whatever I want damnit_. Moreover, my knowledge of Spanish is middling- and I use Latin American/Caribbean Spanish and slang. If any kind loving Spaniard spots oddities just tell me since I know that there is a difference in Castilian and Caribbean versions of the language.

Oh and, **please** don't tell me if I miss an accent or a tilde or something- I've been marked down so many times for leaving the damn things off that my Spanish teachers have all given upon on me. All five of them.

**Note**: Just a general announcement- I know that you're confused: I like it that way. I DO NOT however plan to keep you in suspense for long as that is both an abuse of powers and a fault of proper plot manipulation. As a matter of fact- this chapter clears up one or two mystery for all you lovelies.

**Also**, I promise to not get over convoluted with my plot- but there is plot and I won't abandon it. The mystery with Naruto 'protecting' Sasuke, though important, is not the be all end all, of their separation nor the magic bullet to absolve either of them of their sins. Have some faith in me please.

**And**, when it comes to 'keeping Sasuke alive,' how many of you considered what those words could mean if they were metaphorical?

**By the way:** _Yes_, Sasuke slept with somebody else. Divorced people do that. I didn't write the sex because that would have been tactless and rather unnecessary to the storyline anyway. (And frankly, I don't want to see Sasu with anybody but Naruto either lol) But no, I am _not_ going to change it because it fucked with your delicate sensibilities. I'm staying true to reality here. Sorry.

-Cereal

* * *

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Neji's perfectly arched sable brows furrowed for a moment as his private cell rang.

Settling his glass of mineral water on the table the svelte lawyer fished the rarely used device out of his discarded jacket pocket and rolled his eyes at the flashing number that was Sasuke's private line.

"Sasuke." He greeted when the line opened.

"Close," a husky voice coughed. "No cigar though."

Neji blinked. "And to whom do I have the pleasure of speaking with?" _And who is it that has arbitrary access to Sasuke's private office line?_

"Nara Shikamaru, Uchiha-san's PR Agent."

Ah ha…Clarification. The genius lawyer ambled back to his kitchen- arguably his favourite room in his apartment- and settled himself at the island, curling his long legs neatly under him.

"Aha- the mysterious child genius of his. He told me that you would be in contact."

"Do you have any information for me?" the other voice railroaded, with just a hint of impatience.

_Straight to the point_, Neji noted intrigued. _Highly interesting indeed since the good lord knew that the Uchiha wasn't surrounded by many blunt people._

"From what I understand of you Nara-san, the better question would be, '_what do __**you**__ already know?_'?"

There was a pause, the drag of a cigarette and an exasperated sigh.

"…I know about the charges Hyuuga and Hyuuga brought against a subsidiary of MandaCorp six years ago on behalf of the Japan Exports Bureau for Negligence of Trade Standards."

Neji paused. Even _more_ interesting. The young Hyuuga himself had only found out about that case yesterday himself, since it had occurred before he had taken up his position in his family's firm.

"Then it seems like we need to speak face to face. Would a private café that I know of downtown near Financial Centre suffice?"

The throaty voice snorted lowly. "No dice, Mr. Solicitor. In five minutes a car'll be at your gate to get you and bring _you_ to **me**… I don't do public places…" there was a pause, "I don't really do sunshine either." the other mumbled almost to himself.

Spinning on his heel the Hyuuga slipped his socked feet into a pair of spotless loafers.

"Where are you?"

Another laugh. "What…no appreciation for mystery?"

"Appreciation for my life, thank you."

"Don't worry," the other replied, voice barely above a whisper that was almost drowned out by the chime of Neji's intercom indicating that he had a visitor. "I don't bite- not often, anyway."

* * *

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Sasuke was halfway into drawing large 'X'es through parts of a new product marketing proposal that a young- and stupid- drafting team had sent up to him when his cell phone rang.

Glancing over to the slender silver object the inky haired man allowed let his pencil fall as he collected the communication device and frowned at the strange number flashing on screen.

"Hello?"

"…You always _were_ photogenic."

Honestly, Sasuke was shocked. It had only been about four hours since he had passed the blond in the lobby. Suspicious that the only reason the other had contacted him was for Naruto to rail on about his date last night, Sasuke's body tensed and all his various hackles rose into spikes.

"What do you want, Naruto?" he accused directly, determined to not start defending himself.

"Have lunch with me?"

Pitch black eyes blinked at the completely unexpected left turn. "You've lost your _fucking_ mind." Sasuke muttered shaking his head.

"I haven't- I just want to speak to you face to face. Stop making such a simple thing difficult."

Darkly lashed eyes narrowed. "Do _not_ paint me as the bad guy here, Uzumaki."

Naruto's responding sigh was long. "My apologies. We need to talk though Sasuke- without the animosity."

Still suspicious Sasuke's jaw tightened as he refused to believe it. "What game are you playing?"

There was a pause. "Sasuke," Naruto continued his deep voice low and even, "I think we can both agree that between the two of us it's _you_ who are the master of head games."

The young man sat at his desk stunned and thoroughly pissed at himself that he actually _couldn't_ refute that. It was true and he knew it. He knew that there were times when he had screwed with the blonde's psyche and, as much as it felt like poison down his throat to admit, the Uchiha could clearly recall times when he had gone silent on Naruto for seemingly no reason or pushed him away just because he could.

But- that had mostly been earlier on in their relationship, hadn't it? _Everybody_ played those games when they were in that awkward stage of testing the worthiness of a potential mate... Sasuke hadn't continued them when he and Naruto were married- had he?

"What do you want?" Sasuke asked again, throat dry but tone more conciliatory.

"A cessation of arms…well, temporarily at the very least."

For the life of him the young mogul couldn't find within him one single excuse to justify a refusal. Not when Naruto asked so calmly…not when…not when Naruto was actually _right_.

_Damnit_.

"A cessation of arms." Sasuke replied, voice falling soft, "…Fine."

There was a slightly light chuckle, "And I promise not to ask you about Shukaku."

…?

Naruto paused and breathed deep. "Are you telling me that you _really_ didn't recognise Gaara's cousin?"

Sasuke felt like slapping himself. Fuck his over taxed memory.

"I _knew_ that I had known him from somewhere- I remember now- Shukaku Sabaku- older brother to Sasori right? I saw him in a picture of yours once."

"The one and only. What, didn't he tell you his surname?"

Sasuke's mind flashed back to the previous night, shudders running through his body as phantoms of recalled pleasure flittered across his senses.

"He may have." Sasuke smirked.

Naruto just grumbled to himself, his unintelligible words consisting mostly of a smush of discontented Spanish.

"Meet me at Chouji's at two?" he changed the subject again.

Sasuke sighed and balefully eyed the large stacks of documents on his desk that desperately needed attention. He couldn't reject them really- especially not today. The lord knew that he was already falling behind in his work.

"I'm sorry, I can't at that time." Sasuke bit his lip briefly, "In the evening, maybe…like, a late supper?"

There was the sound of shifting cloth on the other line. "Heh- yeah, okay I get it... man, paperwork really is a bastard, isn't it?"

Oddly enough the Uchiha found himself smiling. "Yeah." He commiserated, rolling his neck for a minute to work out the kinks. "All this fine print is murder on my eyes."

A minute of comfortable silence passed before Naruto spoke again. "Hey Sasuke…"

"Hn?"

"…don't forget to rest, okay."

The stunned Uchiha blinked rapidly, his mouth slightly open. Before he could formulate a reply however the other had hung up and the line was dead.

* * *

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It was nearing three pm when the knock sounded on Sasuke's door.

"Enter." He called abstractly, his entire attention buried under layers of administrative jargon.

The enormous doors opened and Haku quietly entered, his tiny being smartly dressed in conservative black and pushing a purely silver serving trolley laden with covered dishes before him."

"You will eat," Haku smiled congenially, "Or I will damage you."

Chuckling Sasuke reclined in his chair and stretched, his arms able to move freely since he had long discarded his jacket and tie.

"Lay it on me." He smirked.

Haku had far too much tact to quip about exactly what _else_ had been laid onto Sasuke lately, but the mischievous glint to his eyes and twitch of carefully groomed brows said it all.

"Don't even go there." Sasuke growled as he removed the covering from the first dish and blinked when he saw the beautifully plated pink salmon. Picking up the stiff white card upon the tray Sasuke blinked when he spotted the forest green logo of Chouji's Restaurant and a familiar messy scrawl beneath it.

'_You shouldn't forget to __**EAT**__ either.'_

_-N._

For the second time that day Sasuke could so nothing but stare as he sat, immobile, in confounded silence.

* * *

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The room was dimly lit and although Neji knew that he was somewhere within the bowels of the beast that was Sasuke's building, the Hyuuga lawyer had absolutely no clue where.

A slight cough caused him to seek the source and there, just to his left and sitting hunched over in the centre of a circular bank of enormous Mac screens, was slight figure. The person's slender torso was slouched forwards and the face was hidden in obscurity, but Neji's sharp vision could clearly make out the lean frame, slender neck, prominent Adam's apple and the curve of a pierced ear.

"Nara Shikamaru, I presume."

The other looked up, the shift in movement causing the hypnotically pulsing blue glare from the screens and backlit keyboards to flicker across his features and illuminate them.

The boy was a curious creature, Neji thought. Slender faced with strongly prominent bone structure and slightly hollow cheeks. There were mild bags under his eyes true, but Neji recalled being informed that the boy was an insomniac. Cinnamon hair was pulled back into a high ponytail and a few unruly strands escaped from the top and sides to cascade over the other's face.

All in all however- the Nara was beautiful even in his slightly haunted looking cast.

"The Hyuuga prince. Nice to finally meet you." Shika replied, spinning in his chair and scooting closer to one of the desks. A thin, spindly fingered hand negligently waved towards a padded chair before him.

"You could stand if you want- but this will take a while."

Accepting his seat, Neji crossed his legs. "You wished to speak with me."

Shikamaru came closer and Neji was shocked to realize that, slouch notwithstanding, they were almost on the same height. It was rare for the lanky Hyuuga to find anyone in Japan who matched his six foot five height.

"Mmhm," Shika hummed, his dark brown irises framed by sleepy looking eyes. "You brought the information on Orochimaru, right?"

At Neji's slight nod the other merely spun in his chair back towards his waiting keyboards. "Good, let's get started."

* * *

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Two hours passed in a blur of papers and the young lawyer was massaging his scalp in a fitful attempt to rub away the facts of humanity's vileness that had been placed before his eyes.

Naruto had been right to warn Sasuke from Orochimaru- the man was a slimy excuse for a human. Neji didn't know exactly _where_ Shikamaru had dug up some of this information from but the Hyuuga freely admitted to wanting a couple of him in his own organization.

The boy was damned good at what he did.

"Tired?" the other rasped.

"A bit," Neji responded coolly. "The darkness of this room incites one to sleep."

Shika shifted and stood, his long frame arching lightly causing his rumpled hoodie to rise a few inches above his waistline and revel a slip of Skin to the Hyuuga's moonstone gaze.

"Don't fall asleep on me now, we're just getting started."

Neji's coral lips twitched.

"So I take it Sasuke, called to tell you about meeting Uzumaki today." Shika asked out of the blue.

Neji's eyebrows arched up as the other's allusion to the brief call from Sasuke he had received a while ago. "Yes. But how did you know that? None of my responses that you overheard would have informed you of it."

Shika shrugged. "I figured that was it, especially concerning today's headlines and the fact the Uzumaki was here before the ass crack of dawn this morning. Besides, Sasuke has a right to chew his head off."

Neji was confused. "Clarify."

"Isn't that the reason why he's meeting Uzumaki today- to bite a piece out of Uzumaki's ass for what he's been up to lately?" Shika asked back his heavy brows furrowed in his own confusion.

"Sasuke has informed me that he is meeting Uzumaki in accordance with the man's request…He seemed….very congenial actually…no hostility, almost anticipatory?"

Neji could see the dots connecting themselves with lightning speed behind Shikamaru's eyes for a moment.

"…It appears that you were under the impression their meeting is to discuss something else."

Shikamaru cursed. "You're damn right- a congenial mood doesn't jive with what I was thinking he was after- He _still_ hasn't read the goddamn thing, has he?"

Sable brows rose up in obvious question but the young Nara merely scrubbed a hand over his tired looking face for a moment before his own gaze, calculating and sharp as ice shards, sliced into Neji for a solid, unwavering minute.

Like the hardened lawyer that he was Neji waited without a fidget or shifts in his calm demeanour for the genius to finish assessing whatever it was within him that the Nara believed he needed to analyse. The Hyuuga had no outward reaction whatsoever to the piercing eyes and judgemental tilt to the head.

Shikamaru sighed again and the power seemed to flicker away from his gaze before he tiredly reached into a drawer and extracting a large envelop from within and skittering it across the table towards the other.

Neji calmly picked up the manila folder and, after allowing his eyes to flicker back up to the heavy eyed rumpled young man lounging in the seat across from him, the Hyuuga slid delicate fingers under the lap and pulled out a thick sheaf of papers.

He examined them for a long moment, his agile mind dissecting and rotating the information for analysis.

"I see…Uzumaki was hospitalized after the separation."

"Severe depression." Shikamaru clarified as he routed around in his hoodie pocket before extracting a battered carton of menthols and fishing a crooked white stick out of it.

Neji's nose wrinkled when the thing was lit but he said nothing about the habit and went back to the papers, flicking the medical reports over until he got to something else.

"…Curious- Sasuke has not been removed from Uzumaki's will. Why not?"

Shika regarded him flatly. "_You're_ the lawyer, _you_ tell me."

The pale eyed male's head tilted to one side, the shift causing his magnificent cascade of hair to sway and slide down his shoulders and chest as he thought the puzzle through.

"As far as I know the divorce, when ruled upon by the Supreme Court Judge, included articles and instruction for the separation of all matrimonial property based upon binding precedent of other high profile divorce cases. Why then does Sasuke still have claim upon Naruto's will?"

Shikamaru shrugged. "Probably the same reason their companies are still merged."

"But this is ridiculous. According to this the bulk of Naruto's estate save twenty five per cent, which is dedicated to a candy list of orphanages, goes to Sasuke. Why? As bitter as their divorce was I would have expected Sasuke's name to be nothing but a black hole in these documents."

"Maybe they're not as divorced as you think." The other shrugged while taking a deep drag from his cigarettes.

Neji despised games and it was clear to him that this bloody child was leading him along on one.

"You believe that Naruto still considers himself to have spousal duties to Sasuke?"

Shikamaru smirked as Neji finally reached the point where the Nara had been leading him to. "Not for long."

Reaching over to tug the papers from Neji's hand, Shika shuffled through them, tossing them the unwanted ones back at the table before finding what he needed and handing them back over retaining only one in his hand.

"Not for long," Shikamaru repeated as Neji took the papers, the entire stack crowned by a glossy headshot of a devastatingly handsome woman. "Not if _she_ has anything to say about it."

Neji's eyes opened wide as immediate recognition flooded him. "This is that supermodel- the Spanish ambassador's daughter."

"Ino Yamanaka, twenty three years old, born in Barcelona, raised in Tokyo. Her father took the position of Spanish Ambassador some years after Naruto's father passed and the position was open."

Neji blinked. "Naruto's father was ambassador to Japan?"

"Mhmm- for a while. After he inherited his uncle Jiraiya's fortuned he went into politics and married Kushina Uzumaki. He retained the position until his death. Naruto and Ino grew in the embassy together, during the academic year while every summer Naruto went to live with his grandmother. Ino eventually went back to Spain during her teens."

Neji shook his head mystified at the various intricate levels to this puzzle. But then again, when had human interactivity been anything but a twisted mess of murky truths and deceptions?

"And what does she have to do with this?"

"_She's_ suddenly back in Japan _too_…and Naruto has been spotted accompanying her to a good few elite social spots- he booked her into the Red Cloud Spa and Resort a week ago before they were seen together at the reception room of _The Imperious_… apparently he playfully calls her '_Mistress'_."

Sceptical to the core Neji deflected it. "You said yourself that they were raised together- this is proof of nothing more than a reunion of old friends."

The Nara snorted before tossing the last photo he had down- this one a complete shot of the two stunningly blond parties, arm in arm as they browsed a street of what looked like the Arts District up east. Neji blinked as he took in the whole photo.

"…Christ." He swore. "…and Sasuke doesn't know about _**that**_, does he?"

Shikamaru's brows furrowed. "You see our dilemma."

Neji lips went thin.

* * *

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The restaurant was dimly lit and the hostess, a stunning redhead in a long poison ivy style dress, swept Sasuke away to one of the private booths.

It was a small circular booth style with the partition crafted from bronze renditions of bamboo stalks and the table low and traditional. Sasuke approached the blond head already seated there with mild trepidation.

"You came."

"_**I**_ stick to my word." Sasuke replied mildly, fully aware that he was acting like a child in the not so subtle jab at the other and completely not caring.

"_Sí, definitivamente_- Especially when you hurl them like spears. Please, have a seat- I'm sure berating me would be more comfy if you're sitting down."

The Uchiha's lips pursed into something dangerously close to a pout.

Smarmy bastard.

"Well," he asked when he had taken his place. "I'm here- what did you want to talk about?"

Naruto's broad shoulders shrugged underneath his open collared forest green button down.

"Have you found out about Orochimaru yet?"

"I'll have it by this weekend."

Naruto nodded and Sasuke's patience was wearing thin. It was bad enough that they were together in a public place. Sasuke wasn't having very much luck with the paparazzi lately.

"Don't worry," Naruto smirked, "Chouji's is secure, I wouldn't have risked your fragile reputation- well, not any more than you're already doing yourself."

Sasuke began to stand.

"Oh calm the hell down." Naruto grouched, his cheeks puffing out a bit like an annoyed child.

"You can _calmly_ suck my-"

"Good evening gentlemen, welcome to Chouji's. I'm Konan, your server for the night."

Sasuke glanced up briefly, his vision came in contact with a pair of breasts and immediately his lips thinned. Anything with breasts in a ten foot radius of either him or Naruto immediately began to hit on one or the other of them, professionalism be damned.

The blue haired woman's smile was small and Sasuke was shocked to notice that her gaze was strictly blank.

"Hi Konan- what do you recommend tonight?" Naruto smiled, paying no attention to Sasuke's ire.

The woman related a spiel of information and bother their orders were placed before she headed back into the kitchen and left them alone.

"Look, if you're going to get on my case about Shu, then you can just shove it."

The other man's nose wrinkled. "…_Shu…_seriously?"

Sasuke moved to stand again.

"_Por el amor de Dios_, sit the hell down, damnit."

Sasuke smiled and leaned forward. "If you order me around one more time, I'll punch you in the face."

The blond rolled his eyes. "Why do you hate me so much Sasuke?"

Slightly taken aback, Sasuke blinked. "I don't _hate_ you."

Naruto just stared at him.

"I'm serious," he shrugged, sitting back as his eyes found their server meandering her way through the tables, with their tray. "I'm angry at you, _yes_- I want to staple your dick to your balls-_yes_- but I don't _hate_ you."

The food was deposited and both parties delved into the sumptuous meals in silence.

"I knew Shukaku before he went off grid." The blond spoke lowly, the tines of his fork clinking softly against the china. "He's a good guy at heart I guess- complete trouble otherwise."

"I know."

"You _know_ that he's trouble?"

"Yes, he didn't hide it."

"And you _still_ went with him"

Sasuke wasn't even surprised when their gazes met and held for a long moment and the food sat untouched and cooling.

"I guess," the Uchiha whispered, "that I have a habit of choosing men who are bad for me."

Silence.

The soft chimes of a cell phone interrupted the gaze and Sasuke turned back to the remnants of his salad. Naruto blinked and pulled away, the retreat allowing Sasuke some space to suck air into his lungs.

"Hello?"

There was silence for a bit before the blond happy voice chimed out,

"_Mama_!

Sasuke's dark head snapped around only to find Naruto chuckling, his eyes squinted almost shut in pure joy.

"_Mama, Te he echado mucho de menos- por qué tu no me llam-"_

There was only _one_ person on this earth that Naruto called 'mama'.

His breath hitched in his throat as the blond's hand absently crossed the table and settled on top of his, even as he jabbered in his native tongue to Sasuke's mother who, he just remembered, was fluent in it herself.

"_Ah, si tu no me crees- asi_- he's right here."

Sasuke eyed the phone that was extended to him with trepidation before taking it.

"Oh Sasuke," Mikoto breathed, her beautifully cultured voice flowing smoothly through the device. "I'm so _proud_ of you."

A muscle twitched in his jaw.

_Motherfuck_.

"Mum, please." He mumbled, embarrassed at Mikoto's obvious and so very, very _wrong _assumptions.

"No sweetie, I am. I am so very, _very_ proud that you've agreed with Naruto to work things out."

Sasuke choked on his own spit.

"_Say__** WHAT**_?" he snapped, momentarily forgetting that this was his parent that he was speaking to.

"I didn't," Sasuke's black eyes snapped up to an innocent looking Naruto. "Mum, I'm not- we're _not_ working things out. He just asked for us to talk about some business matters, that's _all_."

"Mmmh," Mikoto sand, every word of denial that Sasuke spoke going in through one of her delicately shaped ears and exiting cleanly out the other.

"Of course dear, of course. You are coming to Sunday brunch aren't you? I've asked Naruto to come you see and this would be a perfect-"

"I'm sorry, Mother," Sasuke cut in before Mikoto could begin romanticizing any further. "I can't this week."

'_Especially if HE'S going to be there,_' Sasuke thought viciously as he palmed his linen napkin and flung it into Naruto's face. The infuriating blond just removed the piece of cloth and folded it, that blasted innocent look still plastered upon his face.

"…Oh, ok then… Next time perhaps."

And now Sasuke felt like a piece of shit.

"I'm really sorry mother- I'll make it up to you, I promise. Here-" he added quickly, desperate to get off the phone. "Naruto wants to speak with you."

The blond accepted the device that was shoved back into his face and wound down his conversation with Sasuke's mother.

The only phrase Sasuke could identify was '_I'll see you soon'_, before the conversation ended and the blond was staring at him. A brush of a tan thumb over the back of Sasuke's hand made red flare up across the Uchiha's cheekbones as he quickly yanked his hand away.

"What the hell were you _thinking_, you dunce. Why are you lying to my mother?"

Naruto frowned slightly. "I don't lie Sasuke- you know that."

"I call bullshit. She thinks we're '_working things out'_," the slighter male snapped back, his regular fury with Naruto beginning to rebuild.

"We are." The other countered slowly, his fir body shifting back in his seat to rest against the thickly padded wall. "We are working things out Sasuke- you just haven't realized it yet."

Enough.

Sasuke stood up abruptly, his face tense even as he snatched his jacket up and began fumbling with it

"No, you're being ridiculous. I got you out of my life- I sure as _hell_ don't want you in it again."

"Sasuke, sit please."

A beat.

Huffing, the Uchiha sat back down-_again_- but he was still tense.

Naruto scrubbed a hand through his hair and, for the billionth time in Sasuke's life, he was struck by _exactly_ how handsome his ex was. All things considered, he really had lucked out with the Uzumaki. Naruto was truly was beautiful, with amazing cheekbones, a strong jaw and the most stunning eyes in creation framed by thick golden lashes and brows. The barely there smattering of brown freckles across the bridge of his nose (that weren't apparent unless you looked really, really closely) didn't detract from his looks either.

"…No matter what you think Sasuke, never _once_ have I cheated on you."

A head of short black hair snapped up at the rather abrupt switch in topic.

"_What_?"

The entertainment mogul's smile was wan. "I'm serious. I didn't cheat- not once, not ever and _especially_ not with Sakura… Why is it so hard for you to believe me?"

And, after thinking about it, Sasuke, for once let a barrier down and decided to tell the truth.

"…Because, there was no other reason for you to leave me alone so many times…not when I wanted you there so much." He replied quietly.

"But-"

"Your dessert, sirs." A cool voice interrupted and both parties snapped guiltily back, realizing only now that they had leaned closer across the table. The darkly clad served deposited a truly heavenly looking masterpiece of chocolate and ice-cream before them, two silver spoons placed on either side.

Naruto nodded his thanks and palmed a small spoon- the tiny thing looking ridiculously infantile in Naruto's large tan paw.

"No thank you." Sasuke responded to the offer of the other spoon. He truly didn't think that he could stomach it right now.

His belly was in knots.

Naruto knew enough about Sasuke to not say anything about his emotional slip up. The Uchiha had a thing about admitting to emotions- he was always reserved with them and rarely let anything slip other than in times of physical weakness. Naruto had a strong idea of what Sasuke's confession had just cost him and the blond didn't want to railroad over the man as he floundered to regain his footing.

A minute passed, before either of them spoke- the short span of time filled in by the lovely traditional music filtering through the room by invisible speakers.

"You…you _swear_ you didn't cheat?"

"Not once, amo."

Dark eyes lowered. That word wasn't Spanish, was it? "What does that mean?"

The other male just shook his head before going back to his sweets. Sasuke silently watched him devouring it, his entire being lost for words as time ticked by.

The soft susurrations of the other patrons were calming to the frazzled edges of his mind and Sasuke allowed his eyes to fully close for a moment before he sighed and stood again- finally this time. The midnight haired male tugged his jacket over his torso even while his obsidian eyes were firmly cast downwards toward the ground.

Naruto had given him a lot to think about and Sasuke would need some time.

"Naruto…Neji should have my information about Orochimaru for me by tomorrow- can we meet on Saturday? In the morning?"

The blond's head titled up and a small smirk flittered across his face before it faded away.

"_Claro que sí_, Sasuke."

Nodding awkwardly, Sasuke shifted to walk away but found that his feet were, oddly enough, absolutely refusing to move.

Slowly he turned back towards his ex-husband, his dark gaze again meeting swirling blue ones and staying there for the longest moment.

Naruto's silky golden brows began to knit together in question and, before he could fully contemplate what the fuck he was doing, Sasuke watched silently as his own hand drifted up and across the space between them, the pads of his index and middle fingers pressing softly to the crease in the other's forehead.

"… Stop frowning dobe…you'll get wrinkles."

Cerulean eyes flung open wide at both the touch and the use of an old name that he hadn't heard in such a very long and lonely time. After a second the corner of his lips curved into the beginnings of a small toothy grin.

Snapping back to reality (and his common sense) Sasuke abruptly jerked his hand back, curled it into a trembling fist and shoved it into his pocket as though it had offended him.

Nodding jerkily in farewell the Uchiha turned on his heel… and briskly fled.

* * *

><p>(*)(*)(*)<p>

Suigetsu didn't say a word when his boss walked into the house nearing eight pm and, for that, the dark haired male was grateful.

Sasuke toed his shoes off and tossed his jacket and tie over the arm of the couch. Unbuttoning his cufflinks and starched shirt those two both joined the discarded jacket and tie before Sasuke settles into his armchair and pulled his knees up to his chest. His living room was dim, just the way he liked it, and the lone architect style lamp cast a pale luminescent haze over the modern furniture.

He didn't know how long he sat there really, but a soft clink brought his tired eyes up to find Suigetsu placing a steaming cup of chai before him.

The titanium and blue haired butler offered him a small, dry smirk.

"Don't worry… I've already laced it with Grey Goose."

Sasuke snorted.

"Suigetsu…" Sasuke took the sup and revelled in the warmth. "Thank you."

The other smiled kindly for a bit but a second later offered the Uchiha a sly look, his pale skin glowing against the darkness of his standard inky turtleneck.

"Of course, sir."

Turning he glided out and the Uchiha calmly brought the cup up to his lips.

"…You may not be thanking me for the laxatives though."

A mouthful of tea made its way across the shiny surface of the coffee table.

"Damn you Suigetsu- you had BETTER be joking!"

(*)(*)(*)

The dreams came again that night, but this time they were formless.

He couldn't see who was hugging him- but he felt that it was Naruto.

He couldn't understand the words being whispered into his ears- but he knew that Naruto was the speaker.

He couldn't see the glint in electric blue eyes- but he could feel the touch of the gaze as keenly as though it was piercing into his skin like needles.

He couldn't really feel the press of the naked body against his back… but the crawling lust and want in his belly was more than tangible enough. He knew this lust- it was the same kind that overcame him ever time Naruto would so much as look at him.

Sasuke felt heartbroken.

"…Naruto…"

And suddenly his phone was ringing.

Flickering open heavy eyelids to the interior of the dim room Sasuke pawned the device and fitted it to his ear while he buried himself further under sterling white sheets.

"'Lo?"

"Hey gorgeous," a voice replied. "How are you?"

Sasuke snorted. Trust _this_ unconventional bastard to call in the middle of the night.

"I thought you were going to be all cool and wait until the typical three days had passed before you rang."

Shukaku sniffed. "Conventions can't hold me- I'm so unique that I _amaze_ myself."

Laughter choked Sasuke as he tried to muffle the sounds by burying his face into the pillow.

"_Ass_."

"No babe- I keep telling you- _your_ ass. Hell, I've been hallucinating about it for hours."

Sleepy and warm, Sasuke's dream state of arousal bled over into his murky wakefulness. It was terribly seductive of Shukaku to call him in the middle of the night- even though Sasuke usually responded to such late interruptions of his precious sleep with choice curse words and some death threats thrown along to go with it.

His mind was slightly hazy and Sasuke didn't really want a damn thing about it to change.

"Hmm, I miss you."

"Heh- I'd miss me too."

Dark eyes rolled his eyes skyward. If the dictionary had a definition of 'charismatic' then Shukaku's face was probably plastered under it in multicolour and high definition.

"So, how about it gorgeous?"

The Uchiha blinked, realizing that he'd drifted off a bit.

"Hn?" he questioned, yawning.

"A date- would you go out with me?"

"And here I thought you'd just say that you were responding to my obvious plea for a date with you."

Shukaku snorted his voice low. "Why _wouldn't_ you want a date with me? But no- I ask because I actually _can_ be a gentle man. I'm not _only_ made up of ten inches of dick."

"Your dick is **not** ten inches." Sasuke flatly accused.

"You're _right_- it's ten and a _HALF_!"

"Get off my phone, you idiot." The Uchiha smiled.

"So, Saturday at eight- I'll bring the Suzuki?"

"Mmmhm," Sasuke agreed, his body ready to slip back into sleep. The soft voice on the other line, swirling incongruously with a vision of depthless blue eyes.

"I'll text you." Shukaku murmured releasing the drifting Uchiha from the conversation.

Sasuke hummed again and shut the call off before he turned fully back into his warm nest; pleasure and softness and amusement and stunning red hair superimposing themselves upon striking blue eyes.

* * *

><p>TBC<p>

(*)(*)(*)

A/N: Well, there you have it. None of you were expecting an update sof ast, were you -smirk-

A question or two answered for you and a question or two inserted to keep you guessing. At least you all know who the woman is now. Don't you love me? –smirk-

One more thing: I believe I shall create a twitter account or something so that people can get up to the minute access to me and are able to ask me questions about my stories or for clarifications. Please note that it would not be for the purpose of reviewing however- itself is what that is for.

Moreover, I will be able to offer live updates on posting schedules etcetera? Is this pleasing to everyone? I'll have a poll up on my blog so that you may vote.

Regards-

Cereal.


	7. La Vie Boheme

**Title**: Dearly Beloved

**Chapter** **Seven**: La Vie Boheme

**Pairing**: Naru x Sasuke, Shika x Neji, Kisame x Itachi, (Shukaku x Suigetsu…? -dies laughing-)

**Rating**: NC-17

**Warnings**: (for the entire fic not necessarily this chapter) Angst, snark, sex, heartbreak, love, divorce, plot, making up, snark, sex, love, slash, mentions of femmeslash, sex. Some more snark….Oh…and sex.

**Disclaimer**: No, I don't own Naruto. Goddamnit.

**General Announcement: A reviewer asked for some translations in the AN. I can do this with some of Naruto's longer or more slang-y sentences, but not for every word. It's not really necessary and I promise not to put too much foreign language into this. I hate that myself so I won't subject ya'll to it. One or two of the longer things, fine. 8D**

**A/N**: Late update and I have an excuse- it's essay season at my Uni ;_;

**One more thing**: Please note that I really don't like 'head-hopping' in my stories. I really despise fics where the point of view changes too many times, but, in this chapter the slight bit of hopping around was a bit necessary. –wince- Sorry guys. Please bear with me and remember that the majority of this fic will be told from Sasuke's point of view. The inserts are just to change position every now and again.

**RE TWITTER**: I have finally taken the leap and gone and done my Twitter account. Link is on my profile- feel free to follow 8D

**Re Beta:** Sorry guys, no beta yet. Bear with me and my typos. ;_;

* * *

><p>(*)(*)(*)<p>

'…_Dearly Beloved…we gather here to say our goodbyes... Here she lies, no one knew her worth. The late, great daughter of mother earth, on these nights, when we celebrate the birth... In that little town in Bethlehem we raise our glass-'_

Friday morning found Sasuke grumbling into his pillow and scrunching up his nose as he realized that he had fallen face first into the keyboard of his Mac Air and hadn't budged during the night since Shukaku's call. One of the scores of RENT the Movie was replaying itself on low for the god-knows-what-time on screen.

Huffing he dragged himself up, cracked his jaw, grabbed his trusty Blackberry. After he had taken one look at the thirty seven emails waiting for him, Sasuke maliciously chucked the blasted hunk of machinery behind him and prayed that it burst into smithereens.

Standing up he rolled his eyes at himself as he realized that not only had he slept naked again but also that his penis had apparently liked the silk sheets too much.

"Fuck off. I'm not dealing with you today." Sasuke groused to his cock, ignoring the throbbing column of flesh that desperately wanted to be handled.

'…_to hand crafted beers made in local breweries, to yoga, to yoghurt, to rice and beans and cheese… to leather, to dildos, to curry vindaloo…. to huevos rancheros and to Maya Angelou…'_

Sasuke paused and twisted slightly to turn view the riot of colour on the screen. Should he leave it on?

' … _emotion, devotion to causing a commotion, creation, vacation…"_

"…_mucho masturbation_…"

Narrow eyed Sasuke slapped the thing shut and grabbed his bathrobe. Padding out of the room his bare feet took him across the freezing tile and into the completely empty kitchen.

Oh, that was right, Suigetsu was off today for his bi weekly three day weekend. Sasuke didn't know where the blue haired man disappeared to and, for the sake of his sanity he wasn't quite sure that he wanted to find out. It wouldn't have surprised him if Sui was strapped up to a St. Andrews cross somewhere with feathers glued all over him and rubber chicken in his mouth.

Shuddering Sasuke yawned, took a look at the kitchen clock, contemplated making a healthy home cooked mean for a second before he punked out and ended up liberating a bag of cleverly hidden Apple Jacks from the cupboards.

He yawned again before depositing the empty bowl in the washer for later and trod back upstairs to the bathroom.

His cock was still being stubborn.

"Oh, come on." The exasperated CEO rolled his eyes a she stepped into the glass and chrome shower. "I got laid like two days ago- seriously?"

Just to spite himself, Sasuke took a freezing cold shower and smirked like a bastard when his cock surrendered quietly.

He dressed casually that morning in a pair of richly dark Citizens of Humanity jeans and complimentary black silk shirt since hell, he was the boss and he could damn well wear whatever he wanted. In less than five minutes Sasuke had his briefcase, a protein bar in his mouth and was out the door, convinced that today was going to be a _good_ _day_ or else he'd castrate anyone who decided to mess with him.

Apparently, the first person who did was by his cell phone.

"Hello?" Sasuke queried as he navigated traffic.

"Little one!" a voice crowed out.

Oh _fuck_.

"Uncle Madara," Sasuke groused, eyes narrowing to slits so fine that it was a wonder that he could see the road before him.

"How is my favourite nephew?" The (as far as Sasuke was concerned, '_insane'_) 73 year old retiree asked.

'_Contemplating homicide_,' he thought viciously.

"I'm alright," he replied as he navigated an intersection one handed (which was completely illegal but whatever) "On my way to work. Long day ahead of me."

"Ah yes, yes," the old man crowed. "Such an ambitious lad you are. Why, I remember when I was your age and I was competing with this other hopeful from the Senju clan to get this internship. Hashirama I think his name was- and I made sure to-"

Oh dear god just shoot him now. Sasuke groaned, pulling up to the entrance of the parking lot and began making his way to the executive section. As much as he didn't want to, he sat and respectfully listened to the oldest member of his family story tell for a while before he was forced to cut int.

"Uncle Madara- I'm so sorry, this is all very interesting, but I really have to get to work now. Is there something specific that you needed?"

Immediately the tone of the conversation and Madara's voice changed to something far more serious. The quiet purpose of his Uncle's speech again reminded Sasuke that this man, silly as he acted sometimes, was not someone to mess with. He was more cunning than a snake and twice as slippery.

"We've heard that Naruto is back in town." 'We' of course was referring to Madara and his younger twin Tobi.

"Yeah." He sighed, leaning back into his chair and turning his dark eyes to the skyline.

"He came back last week and showed up at the charity ball the Hyuuga held. I don't know why though and I don't really care."

Madara was quiet for a bit before speaking again. "Sasuke, as much as I love you and as much as I respect your ambition, determination and single minded drive- you're dead wrong regarding Uzumaki."

The young CEO bristled immediately. "_Excuse_ me?" he shot back, lips pulling back into a sneer. "Uncle, just because you have some strange fascination with Naruto and his money, doesn't give you the right to tell me-"

"Be _quiet_, boy." The older man growled in such a deadly tone that it forced Sasuke to stop in his tracks and blink.

"I tell you now that Fugaku did wrong with you. While he was trying to make you a corporate megalith he forgot to put some manners and deference to your elders in there as well. Poor Mikoto, I don't know how that woman survived."

Sasuke swallowed his ire and outrage receding as he listened to and accepted his uncle's rebuke.

"But you're my favourite little descendant," the older man continued more softly, "and I hate to see you suffer. Your marriage to Naruto was one of the best decisions you ever made son, and it cut me when you ended it."

Sasuke swallowed. "…It was he who filed for divorce," he tried, voice wavering a bit.

"Yes, but it was you who pushed him away." There was a shuffling of papers for a bit and some slight static before Madara's voice came back.

"I've been waiting a long time for you to grow up Sasuke. You're older now, yes and a fine man you've become… but you're still not as mature as you should be."

Again the young twenty-six year old felt like the rug had been pulled out from under him and he was freefalling. He'd never really been spoken to like this before and, honestly, it made him wonder about himself.

"Like I said, I love you Sasuke- you're the hope of this clan, especially after Itachi had to choose between breaking free or perishing."

Wait- what?

"I'm sorry?" he question, needing clarification. "What do you mean by that."

"…it seems we really do need to have a talk sonny. Some good portions of your life are unknown to you." Madara sighed again. "The reason why Fugaku was able to shape you is because you're stronger than Itachi. That boy is more sensitive than we give him credit for and for all his genius he really just wants peace.

It forced him to do some things that went against his very morality and in the end he had to either leave or shatter. You have more iron in you- you're stronger and its why you can succeed where 'Tachi couldn't.

Fugaku knows this and he played upon it. Don't get me wrong- your dad loves you boy, and he would do anything to see you happy. Problem is, he's not really keen on finding out your view on the matter but more on doing what he thinks is right.

Sasuke swallowed. "Uncle, Father tried to sue Naruto the other day."

"See what I mean. Don't mind him too much, we've had some words with him."

Sasuke chuckled softly, as he began to gather his various things and manoeuvre his way out the car.

"Yeah, well I threatened to tell Mother."

A full bellied cackle sprung through the line. "You sneaky little runt. You know Mikoto has FuFu by the balls. Good work, kid."

Smiling the young mogul made his way to the elevators. "Hey, I'm about to get cut off so I'll talk to you later…and uncle…I…thank you."

"No worries, little one. No worries at all."

* * *

><p>(*)(*)(*)<p>

Neji answered his house phone on the second ring, cradling the device between his recently shaved jawline and a cocked shoulder.

"Hyuuga."

There was a slightly raspy cough on the other line that immediately identified the silent caller. Coral lips titled up into a smile and the lawyer twisted his hip length damp locks into a messy chignon.

"Oh my, it's the vampire."

"…Don't quit your day job Hyuuga." Shika mumbled, his tone ungracious. "Anyway, Sasuke wants his info by this evening- I'll send the car to get you-."

Neji fingered a long strand of escaped melon smelling hair.

"No dice, Mr Genius." He replied mildly, pleased within himself that he had found opportunity to return Shikamaru's own words back at him.

"_You_ shall be gracing _me_ with your presence at Hyuuga & Hyuuga today. The resources we need to finish this reconnaissance are there…with me and all my brilliant fluorescent lighting."

The prosecutor ensured the towel around his waist was fastened and wandered over to his chest of drawers to begin dressing.

"Besides, turnabout is fair play, isn't it, Nara?"

There was another pause.

"…Remember that whole conversation we had about me not agreeing with sunlight… and people?"

"Vaguely." Neji dismissed before turning back to his bed and reconnecting the phone to its holder and putting it on speaker. "Should _I_ send transport or will you find your way unaided?"

There was a grunt and a very politically incorrect grumbled curse which Neji blithely ignored.

"_Fine_. I'll be there in an hour."

Thoroughly amused Neji ended the call.

(*)(*)(*)

A darkly clad and hooded form shuffled into Neji's Victorian styled office. Shikamaru was slumped over; his large forest green hoodie covered half his face and the only part of his visage visible were those magnificently full and slightly chapped lips.

"Satisfied?" He huffed, flopping his lanky form into a chair without invitation and putting an external hard drive smack in the middle of Neji's desk.

"For the time being, yes."

The young genius sighed and his neck curved a bit to the left, revealing to Neji's increasingly hungry gaze the smooth line of a pale clavicle and the bulge of an Adam's apple.

"Anything new?" Neji questioned, forced to clear his throat a bit from the coagulating lust, even as he plugged in the drive to his Vaio.

"No. Not unless you count the layers of sunburn that I got coming over here." Shuffling around a bit Shika hiked a long lanky leg up unto his chair and hunched even further into himself. "Probably gonna contract skin cancer." He muttered

For the briefest moment the lawyer was reminded of a time in his youth when he had been obsessed with manga character who, like Shikamaru, was both a genius and a rather curiously unconventional character. Neji was becoming even more charmed.

"I've searched our archives and pulled up a few more buried cases." Presenting the documents to the other, Neji took pity and strode around to the lighting switch on his wall, dimming the bright glow to a soft fifty per cent.

The churn of the printer announced the purposing of Shika's presented material and the young recluse palmed them and reorganised the mass of paper.

Neji stepped closer, unable to help himself.

"Perhaps, this is better for your delicate sensibilities."

Shika just grunted.

They worked in silence for a while, Shikamaru indiscriminately choosing what went into the file and tossing what didn't over his shoulder.

"Here." He finalized, putting the organized folder in front of Neji and fishing in his pocket for a cig which he promptly stuck between his lips and lit with a click of a silver, deer embossed lighter. For another moment, Neji was struck by another part of the man's body.

Shikamaru had dramatically beautifully hands. They were clearly pianists fingers, long and spindly with defined knuckles and bitten nails. A shiver of lust shot through the lawyer again. He had always had a thing for hands.

Desperate to pull himself out of the slight cesspool of want that he was dangerously close to falling into, the Hyuuga rolled his eyes before circling his desk.

"I'll walk you out."

Shikamaru unhunched himself from his chair and stood, his sharp shoulders curved over in his customary slump. Reaching hand behind him Shika grabbed his slightly readjusted cowl and pulled it back into place, until his forehead and eyes were completely covered and all that was left to be seen were a slightly scruff jaw, pursed lips and his smoking cigarette.

Shuffling his way to the door the young man was about to step across the threshold when a hand on his arm stopped him.

Neji wasn't really sure what possessed him to do it but his fingers had reached out and wrapped around a surprisingly firm bicep hidden beneath the green cloth. Heat form Shika's arm radiated up through the hoodie and sent an unexpected shiver through the nerves of the brilliant lawyer's palm. Shikamaru titled his head up and piercing eyes regarded Neji with the ferocity of needles.

Wordlessly the solicitor raised his fingers until the very tips of the manicured digits were level with Shika's mouth.

"Don't you know," he said lowly as the tips skimmed a scruffy jaw before curling around the root of the cigarette and pulling the small stick from the other's shocked mouth.

"These things will kill you."

Dark eyes widened and long lashes blinked rapidly above the beautifully gaunt cheekbones.

"Wh-"

"Hyuuga-san, you have a- oh, I'm sorry." The voice of some aid interrupted.

Shika took the opportunity to pull himself out of Neji's grasp and disappeared through the door like a phantom. Neji watched him go for a while before turning to the nervous looking aid and smiled in forgiveness.

"It is fine, Aki. Don't concern yourself."

* * *

><p>(*)(*)(*)<p>

Contrary to popular belief Haruno Sakura did not get her position of Personal Assistant to one of the most powerful business men in Japanese Media by spreading her (rather shapely) legs for it.

No, despite her upbeat personality, horrifically unique pink hair and vague appearance of being a bit of a tomboyish ballbuster, Sakura could tell stories of all-nighters pulled at Columbia and an accelerated Master's degree in Business Management at Cambridge that still left her with nightmares.

She had studied hard and worked harder, clawing her way through the masses of bullshit that the 'veterans' and heavy hitters of the industry had thrown at her, the sexual harassment, the sneering, the condescension, the skepticism about on her knowledge, about her capability.

She had worked three times as hard, triple checked her work every time, organized to the infinite points, become a control freak and developed a few Obsessive compulsive disorders along the way, but, in the end, she had smashed though the so called 'impassable' glass ceiling with a triumphant smirk and a jolly middle finger to her detractors. Now, at 28 her salary was six figures, her boss was amazing, and contact list was longer than the Nile.

Unfortunately, her reputation was suspect.

The pink haired female had just dragged herself out of her study after spending all night drafting various press releases, responses to the media and a general spin-doctorship on this whole fiasco that Naruto had placed himself in.

To be honest Sakura was forced to admit with a cringe that she was also a bit responsible for the mess at the Charity Ball. During the organization some fuck up had happened and the oversight was costing Naruto, and her company by extension, some extra work on their already tough grind. It was a shocking eye opener for Sakura because she usually didn't make these mistakes.

"I'm getting old." She grumbled, slamming the well-used (and dying) coffee pot unto its placement and waiting for the fluid of the gods to percolate.

It was true in a way- she was well aware the other women in her age group were married and had kids on the way but she had never had time for that kind of thing. In her drive to succeed she had sacrificed her personal life and, harsh as it was, she didn't regret it.

Don't tell the media that though. As far as they were concerned she was a home wrecking slut who was responsible for destroying the greatest celebrity couple this side of Antony and Cleopatra.

Sakura grit her teeth in anger and humiliation, an action which she did every time she thought about how Uchiha Sasuke had damned the majority of her hard work, achievement and so far stellar reputation just because he was a shallow, jealous, childish, self-centred _bitch_ who couldn't play well with others.

Grabbing the boiling pot the slender woman poured a hefty amount into her trusty plate-sized mug and stomped back to her study.

Goddamn that bastard pissed her off. His sneering and disdain had been some of the most vicious she had ever been subjected to. Back in those days when the relationship between Naruto and the Uchiha had been new, Sakura could have understood his primary reactions to protect his chosen lover from other potentials.

Sure, fine.

_Whatever_.

As time passed however Sakura had though that it would have become clear to the little pompous prick that she wasn't screwing his boyfriend behind his back.

Look, she wasn't gonna lie, when she had first gotten the job of PA she had been strongly sexually attracted to Naruto because you know what the fact was- half the god-damn staff in the building was attracted to Naruto. Hell, in all brutal honesty, a very measurable part of her still was. The man was handsome in a smoky eyed, golden haired kind of way that made most people –male or female- immediately think of deep sunsets, heady air and Spanish guitars.

But that never gave Sasuke the right to insult her –and those jabs were _so_ not subtle- at every turn, nor roll his eyes when she spoke, or threaten her to back away from Naruto or she'd regret it.

As strong as the word 'threat' was, the Haruno refused to abandon it, no matter what her conscience claimed about the actually PC wording of Sasuke's little diatribe to her. As far as there was an implication to the destruction of some aspect of her life –or god forbid, her career- then she was gonna consider it a threat.

By the time the two had gotten married- in the most ridiculously lavish wedding that she along with Sasuke's secretary and mother had organized for well over four months- Sakura had, in fierce and smugly satisfying retaliation, let her inner warrior come out, morals be damned.

She baited him and okay, maybe that hadn't been so nice, but it sure had felt good to see that black eyed twat grind his molars into dust every time she had hugged Naruto for a second longer than strictly necessary or perched herself on the arm of his chair to take his dictated notes. Naruto of course was such a naturally tactile, loving person that he hadn't thought a thing about the increased contact between them. He hadn't considered anything Sakura was doing wrong so she had continued.

Sasuke hadn't taken it laying down and, after a few well worded snaps to the media that always flocked him, Sakura's reputation had been shot through the face with a bullet the size of a nuke.

And now, here she was a few years later down the road and was stuck in her office at 8 am in the morning and writing a positively crafted press release to the public clarifying the details of the torrid life of the one man she wanted to hang with the belt of her dressing robe.

"Blasted sack of lies." She sneered even as her fingers tapped away with words like 'respect' and 'benevolence'.

Why did Naruto have to ask her to do this anyway? And on top of that she still had to find out about the mysterious caller who had fancied himself important and rang the blond up about the Uchiha's liaison with Sabaku Shukaku.

Oh god how she had cackled like a psychotic fiend when she had seen that article. If the little bastard had wanted to destroy himself then he couldn't have chosen a better candidate to aid the process along.

Shukaku was all _different_ levels of trouble. Juvenile Delinquent at eight, repeat offender by sixteen, on charges for Grand Theft Auto by seventeen, prison escapee by twenty. The scourge of the prominent Sabaku family had disappeared for a long while and nobody had really cared about where he'd disappeared to.

Naruto had only met him through the mutual acquaintance of Gaara who the blond knew since growing up at the embassy. Gaara's father had often attended functions there and the two children, as different as they were like day and night, had become friends and a unit of solidified troublemakers.

"Karma is a bastard," Sakura smirked even as she hit 'send' on the email, pulled the ties out of her hair and padded her barefoot way through the thick snow white carpet of her penthouse towards the bathroom.

Halfway down the corridor she paused and closed her eyes as guilt washed over her for an infinite second. Had she really been wrong? But- but her career, her _reputation_ for the love of god. Her _reputation_. It was like no matter what she did, she couldn't get it back and that **hurt**. She had worked so hard, so very hard and…

Her brilliant green eyes misted for a bit. Had she sacrificed so much- just for it to come to waste? Had she let her life pass by only to have everything she had achieved destroyed by this man who hadn't known what it was like to really work for something or to want something and not have the money to buy it?

Her spine straightened. No. Damn that Uchiha again. She wasn't going to take the rap for this- _especially_ when she wasn't wrong. Continuing on towards her en-suite Sakura's lips thinned.

"You're gonna get yours Uchiha- I know it."

* * *

><p>(*)(*)(*)<p>

Small smiles fluttered his way as Sasuke made his way to the executive break room in order to stretch his legs and get some coffee. It was some Canadian stuff this week and the smell had been calling to the Uchiha for an hour or so.

People- women more so than not- were taking note of his casual attire and giving him positive responses. Smirking, Sasuke pawned himself a large cup of the liquid and returned back to the corridors.

He immediately came face to face with an impeccably dressed and rather smug looking, Neji.

"Well don't you look like the cat that got the cream."

Neji just continued to smile mysteriously. For a second Sasuke allowed his eyes to take in the Hyuuga's form in general admiration. Neji was just pretty to look at; his form was so lean and graceful that he could have pulled off a role in Lord of the Rings as a high elf, very _very_ easily. His sense of fashion was straight from the designers of Italy, not the generic ones everyone knew, but the secret people who made clothes that didn't even come with price tags how expensive they were.

He was wearing white cashmere today, dove grey pants with a knife seam and the most beautiful purple, white and lavender scarf Sasuke had ever laid eyes on.

Neji merely smiled and wordlessly handed him a folder. The Uchiha scrunched his nose briefly. More crap to read.

"Is this about Orochimaru?"

"Yes," Neji replied nodding to someone over Sasuke's shoulder. "Uzumaki was very right. All proof you need is there- and Shika and I condensed it so that you don't have to read too much." He added teasingly.

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Shika?" he smirked.

Neji's moonstone eyes just stared into him.

"Fine, fine." He muttered, turning around on his heel to get into his office.

"Oh and Sasuke, you really should read that file Shikamaru gave you on Naruto. There are things in there you need to know."

Raising his full mug in a caustic salute Sasuke returned to the sanctuary of his office.

(*)(*)(*)

The Uchiha home was a new reconstruction of an old Tokugawa Estate that had been burnt down in the1867 Meiji Restoration and left waste for a good eighty five years until a young Madara –and _god_ that just showed how old that bastard was- had restored it.

Naruto had always admired the architecture of the place and even now as he drove up the finely crushed gravel pathway towards the sprawling estates, his reaction was no different.

The Uchihas had always been old money- like centuries old kind of money. There were even little rumors that they had been closely related to the first Tokugawa emperor Ieyasu and had been a clan of powerful samurai and ninja until the whole dynasty had come to shit.

Regardless, they still maintained their power and influence- even though they had lost the wealth for a while- and it was this reputation that had allowed for people like Madara and Fugaku to rebuild their empire, this time just in economics and not though clan warfare.

Naruto parked the Veyron at the gates and contemplated for a minute. He had mixed feelings about this home; on one hand he hated what one inhabitant of the house had cost him, but, on the other hand he absolutely wouldn't abandon the other inhabitant- Mikoto Uchiha.

Mikoto had become so much to him. Ever since he and Sasuke had begun their whirlwind courtship and romance Mikoto had silently stepped in and taken the place of the mother Naruto had always dreamed about.

Sure, Tsunade was an amazing grandmother and he wouldn't trade her for anything, but time and the world had left her a bit rough around the edges and more inclined to gambling, swearing and a swift cuff to those who pissed her off than soft maternity.

Mikoto filled that gap and now Naruto was here, praying that his unannounced visit wouldn't blow up in his face.

Hopping out he stretched a bit and made his way to the door, not even managing to press the bell before it flung open and a short woman stood there, black eyes fierce and shimmering, her little fists clenched together causing the diamonds on her left hands to tremble.

"You."

Naruto gulped. "Heh heh- hi mama. Er…long time, no see?" he winced.

Mikoto continued to glare for a bit before she seemed to fold in upon herself and grabbed Naruto by the lapels of his burnt sienna polo before dragging him into her arms.

Sighing deeply the muscular blond breathed in the smell of her perfume. They stood there for a while, wrapped up in each other until Mikoto pulled away and a thought occurred to Naruto which sent his heart rate spiking through the roof.

"Wait- he's not here, is he?"

Mikoto gave a rather delicate snort and replied, "No."

Ushering in her honourary son Mikoto led him into her kitchen, sat him at the table, procured a glass of cold, full cream milk from nowhere and placed it in front of the young man.

"Tell me everything."

And Naruto began to speak. He told her about everything that had happened in the past few months, about how his company was doing, the stresses and the hardships. By his second glass of milk he was telling her about how he had run into Sasuke and the whole fiasco with the charity ball.

"It was just so…so weird mama, he was just standing there all tense and all these feelings just came rushing back, and all this _anger _and I-"

Mikoto waited for him to continue but when he didn't she softly interjected. "Naruto…stop pretending. I know that you still love my son."

The blond cringed.

"No, I _don't_. And he just makes me so angry that I can't-" Once again he couldn't finish his sentence. Heck, he couldn't look Mikoto in the eye either because her disbelief was a clear as day.

"If you say so. I don't believe you though."

There was quiet for a bit before Naruto perked up suddenly, his head of rebellious blond hair seeming to stand on end and rendered him looking like a mischievous little foxling.

"Oh, I just remembered!" Producing from his pocked a small black velvet box embossed with and elegant silver 'O' Naruto presented it to the woman. She opened it to find a simple but stunning black opal necklace with the singular stone set in beautiful silver.

"Oh, it's beautiful." Mikoto breathed, loving the gorgeous present but feeling a bit sad that it appeared that some part of Naruto still thought he had to buy her gift to make her love him. Having helped her put it on; Naruto sat back and smiled a wide grin.

"_Le queda bien." _

"How is Tsunade?"

"Eh, Granny? Still terrorizing the Caribbean, of course. I hear her punches have gotten harder."

Mikoto smiled. She had only met Tsunade once actually, at Naruto's and Sasuke's wedding, and had been completely enchanted with the woman. For one thing, she looked like a warrior queen and had a rack the size of the Asian continent. For another, her caustic mouth, heavy and brass voice and punch-in-the-mouth demeanor had made her stand out like a beacon of light among the regular cache of society butterflies. Tsunade had turned up at the wedding in her doctor's coat, with a bottle of sake in one hand and a leashed pig in the other. Nobody had really known what to do with her.

"Lovely woman."

Naruto chuckled. "Yeah, she's getting up there in years though. Won't listen to me when I tell her to come to Spain and let me take care of her."

"Puerto Rico is her home now. You know she won't leave. By the way Naruto- are you staying for lunch?"

The blond blinked and his eyes shot to the clock on the mantle. "Damn, its 11:30 already? Sorry mama, I gotta go. We're still doing brunch tomorrow right?"

"Yes." Mikoto affirmed, standing to take Naruto's hand and usher him to the doorway.

At the entrance to the home the Uchiha matriarch pulled Naruto into another fierce hug, this one even stronger than the first. The closeness of the press caused her to feel something hard pressing into her check and, curious she pulled back and look at the blond.

Naruto wouldn't meet her eyes.

Reaching up she traced delicate fingers around his neckline and found what she was looking for. Gently liberating the fine golden chain from its clever hiding place under his shirt, Mikoto freed the mysterious object and stood there in stunned silence as she stared at the gold ring glittering in her hands.

The room was still and even now Naruto refused to meet her eyes which were filled but not flowing.

"Oh _mi niñito_, why do you two do this to yourselves?"

The blond sighed tiredly. "Leave it mama, please. It just didn't work out."

The woman said not a word but wondered about the foolishness of youths. "Come, I believe you said that you need to go?" she changed the subject while carefully hiding the secret again.

"I don't want you to be late."

Naruto pecked her on the cheek and bounded down the steps, waving a final goodbye as he slipped into the blue car.

"_Anda bien_." Mikoto called softly as the blond started the low slung car.

"I will, mama." He promised as he drove off.

Mikoto watched him go for a second, fingers twirling around the opal necklace Naruto had given her, as she thought and briefly considered her options. Turning back into the house, she went directly towards one of her gleaming coffee tables and picked up the phone. Almost immediately the number that she had dialed connected.

"Hi Kurenai? It's Mikoto. About that annual Sakura viewing festival you're planning. I wonder if you could do me a favour with the invitations…"

* * *

><p>(*)(*)(*)<p>

Saturday morning dawned like weird kind of death knell for Sasuke. The bad part was that he hadn't gotten much sleep because he had spent all last night running over the words Madara had said to him. Sasuke had been in a weird kind of humble funk for the past thirteen or so hours, quiet and introspective. He was really starting to analyze himself, exactly what his actions were based upon and what they had cost him.

Even worse was the fact that he had to correct some shit or other that those incompetents in his financing department had dumped upon him by this evening.

The final nail in his already stifling coffin was the fact that he had to meet Naruto today and this really wasn't the mood he wanted to greet the man with. The only possible light to the end of his dismal looking tunnel was his date with Shukaku in the evening.

"Fuck my life." He swore.

He started working on correcting the mix ups by eight am. By twelve he had only gotten through a quarter of it. By two Sasuke was feeling desperate.

Picking up his cell he dialed Shikamaru.

"Hey Nara, you have Naruto's number don't you."

"…yes."

"Send it to me."

A beat.

"…why?"

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "I'm not going to put a hit on him, just send me the damn thing."

A few moments later his phone buzzed and Sasuke quickly opened the email and retrieved the number. The line rang for a few minutes before a breathless sounding 'Hello' answered.

"Naruto, it's me."

A pause. "_Sasuke_?"

Pale hands scrubbed at dark hair. "Bad time?"

"No, no- just doing some heavy lifting for a friend. What's wrong?"

"You know our meeting today?" Sasuke started, knowing that he was going to regret every word that now came out of his mouth, "Can we have it at my home instead? I'm jammed here and you already know where it is anyway."

"…Okay. How about in forty five minutes?"

"That's fine. And pick up some take out will you?"

Naruto snorted. "The butler is off this weekend, isn't he?"

Black eyes narrowed at the insinuation that he couldn't take care of his own food. "_Maybe_."

The Spaniard's chuckle turned into a full laugh. "Okay, okay. See you in a bit."

Sasuke sat staring at the phone for a second, marveling at the fact that he had actually had a civilized conversation with this man. That was so…unusual. Especially considering the fact that the majority of the times Naruto opened his mouth Sasuke just wanted to hiss and spit at him like an angry cat.

Damn it- maybe Madara had been more right that he had thought.

Time flew by and before Sasuke knew it his doorbell was rung. Heaving himself up he padded across the foyer and opened it. Naruto stood there with armfuls of bags.

"Hi." The blond began.

"Food." Sasuke demanded, sticking out his waiting palm.

Naruto rolled his eyes and brushed past him into the house. Paranoid, Sasuke stuck his messy head out and surveyed the street. The lane was mostly empty, no suspicious looking vans or paparazzi crouching in bushes. There was an empty Aston Martin parked a few ways down but that was it and satisfied, Sasuke followed the other man inside.

"What'd you get?" He queried peeking into the bags and forcing himself to ignore how the blond smelled like fresh male sweat and soft sandalwood cologne.

"Mediterranean; _Roquefort salad_ with baby greens, arugula, walnuts, raisins and balsamic vinaigrette. _Pappardelle Boscaiola_ with prosciutto ham and Portobello mushrooms. Some homemade bread, and full crème butter and some tiramisu for afterwards. I figured I should bring enough over to last the weekend since you might die of starvation."

The taller blond man leaned casually against Sasuke's kitchen island and crossed his long legs. Sasuke had to admit, he was looking good today, dressed as he was in sleeveless blue turtleneck that showed off his muscular arms and black jeans.

"My thanks?" he queried, his scarred cheeks puffing up with his grin.

"The fact that the police won't find your body under my kitchen floor is thanks enough."

A roar of laughter erupted from the other as Sasuke dodged around him and began removing plates from and cutlery.

"Anything to drink?"

"Well, I _was_ going to bring wine but then thought you might accuse me of trying to get you drunk."

Sasuke shoved the plates at him. "Set the bloody table." He groused.

The delicious smelling food was laid out in between the scattered masses of paperwork on the dark surface and they ended up facing each other in a situation they hadn't been for a very long time. There was a bit of an awkward pause when both refused to look at the other but Sasuke, still riding the quiet state of being that Madara's words had put him into, didn't feel any urge to bring his barbs out.

Just because they were divorced didn't mean that they couldn't eat together in peace.

Naruto had cocked his elbow on the table and his blue eyes were scanning Sasuke's face.

"I saw Mikoto today." He said lowly as they began to divide the food.

"I thought your brunch with her was tomorrow?"

"It is- I just, needed to talk to her. You're a weird man Sasuke, allowing your ex to share your mother."

The other shrugged, ignoring the heat that was crawling up his neck. "I can't stop her, can I?"

They ate in relatively calm silence for a bit until Sasuke felt like he was bursting at the seams and couldn't handle another bite. Well, that was until Naruto produced the chocolate perfection that was Tiramisu and Sasuke waved a cheery goodbye to his waistline before digging in with relish.

And ended up smearing some on his face.

Naruto snorted.

Leaning back and cleaning himself up Sasuke lounged in a hazy, food induced stupor.

"Good?"

"Mmmmm." Was all the other could manage.

"You looked like a sleepy puppy."

Sasuke cracked an eye open and half-heartedly gave the other the middle finger. Naruto just ignored him and wiped his hands on one of the peculiarly deep red napkins the restaurant had sent along. The oddest memory fluttered across Sasuke's mind when he saw that colour and, for the life of him, the young Uchiha couldn't hold his laughter in. He roared with it, clutching his too full stomach that was grumbling about it.

Naruto raised a thick blond brow. "So you've finally gone insane, haven't you."

"Oh fuck off. The colour of that napkin just reminded me of those red boxers mum gave me once."

Naruto blinked rapidly, his blue eyes confused. "…_Eh_?"

Sasuke paused. "Wait…I never showed you those?" Shaking his head in disbelief Sasuke heaved himself up.

"Gimme a minute." He said before disappearing upstairs for a second and coming back down with some dark red scrap of cloth clutched in his hands.

Sitting back down, Sasuke then displayed the boxers in all their glory. Splashed across the crotch were the words '_Boys are like cash. Easy to go through."_

Naruto nearly died.

"Seriously?" he gasped between fits of laughing. "Mama gave you those? Why have I never seen this – this sheer and utter _magnificence_ before?"

In all honesty, Sasuke was wondering the same thing. It was so very strange that Naruto could not have known about this. Had they really had such a bad level of communication. Christ.

"I didn't tell you the story, did I?"

Naruto opened his mouth to answer but closed it instead and just shook his head. Leaning forward on the table he regarded Sasuke as the brunet thought back.

"I knew I was gay at about fourteen. Girls made my skin crawl and boys were pretty to look at." Sasuke smiled softly at the memory.

"Like all silly kids who just discovered their sexuality I started becoming a bit…trigger happy with boyfriends._ No,_ I wasn't having sex yet, but I hopped around from boyfriend to boyfriend every couple of weeks. 'Relationships' were just good for making out and once that got boring the boy had to go."

Shifting around some more Sasuke idly began stacking the plates to the left and clearing the space between them.

"One day, mom came home and presented me with these and a smile. It was her own unique way of telling me to calm down. She never yelled, never cursed…just these and a smile. I stopped immediately."

Naruto was smiling, even as he reached over and took the boxers from Sasuke's hands and ran fingers over the old cloth. The tips of their hands brushed and Sasuke surprised himself by not pulling away. Silently placing the bit of clothing to the side, Naruto took both of Sasuke's downward facing hands in his own large ones and gently turned them over.

His thumbs pressed lightly into the lined seams of Sasuke's palms and the Uchiha's began sweating a bit as the shocking heat from the others skin seemed to sear him.

"Are you reading my palms?" he tried to joke. "I thought you were Catholic?"

A blue eye met his through a fringe of stunning gold hair. "My father had gypsy blood," he said with an odd smile to accompany his odd answer.

The moment felt eternal for a bit. Sasuke was getting a bit more nervous with every second that passed and – oh dear god – Naruto's thumbs were massaging him now. Rubbing small circles into his hands. The Uzumaki wasn't looking at him yet and for that Sasuke was grateful. God knew that he wouldn't have been able to handle it.

The tension was building like smoke swirling up from a banked fire and Sasuke was all ready to yank his hand away when Naruto's phone rang.

The blond ignored it for a second before sighing and releasing one of the Uchiha's hands to fish the blasted thing out of his pocket, his other palm still circling Sasuke's now trembling one.

Naruto took one glance at the screen and grimaced before sighing. His eyes met Sasuke's even as he put the device to his ear.

"...Hi Sakura, what do you need?"

And just like that the spell was broken.

Sasuke removed his captured hand and, stiff backed, stood to take the used plates and containers to the kitchen. He was stacking the remaining food in the fridge when he felt a presence behind him.

"Sorry about that."

"No problem," he replied tightly.

And now the atmosphere had gone all awkward and tense again but for completely different reasons than before. Sasuke turned around and leaned against the fridge, his lips pursed together.

"Look, I've got the information about Orochimaru and I agree with you. We really can't work with him- if we do and he actually gets pulled down, any contractual obligation we have with him is going to damage us too. We can't afford that."

"Okay." Naruto replied quietly. "And how do you plan on letting that ball drop without revealing the real reasons behind the decision."

Sasuke gave a half shrug and moved back to the table. "I'll think of something."

His dark eyes caught sight of a digital clock to his left and the time shocked him. "Oh damn, I have to start getting ready."

"Going out?"

"Yeah... is everything covered? Anything else we need to talk about?"

Naruto shook his head as he bent down to put his shoes back on. His reply was stiff. "No. I'll see you Monday."

The blond was halfway out the door when Sasuke stopped him.

"And Naruto, thanks for dinner."

The other man gave him a salute and disappeared. Sasuke turned to his room, conflicted.

* * *

><p>(*)(*)(*)<p>

Shockingly, when Shukaku turned up at his door later that night he was indeed on his bike but dressed in seamed pants and an opened necked green silk shirt. Sasuke cocked a brow.

"Something tells me that we're not going to a club." He smirked.

"Nope, the Konoha theatre."

Black eyes blinked. "Le gasp. What is this I hear about you having some culture under all that crassness?"

"I," Shukaku sniffed, "am a member of the intelligentsia. I read Shakespeare, and eat fish eggs and drink wine that tastes like pisswater."

"Charming." Sasuke smirked, grabbing his dark leather jacket which matched beautifully with his all black attire.

Shukaku palmed his spare helmet in one hand and Sasuke's hip in the other before placing a spine tingling kiss on pale lips.

"Shall we go?"

"I am _not_ riding bitch."

"Well I hope you know how to fly, princess."

(*)(*)(*)

The dramatic arts theatre was located in in the arts quadrant of the city and was a massive modern building, all done up with clean lines and arching steel art. There was a healthy crowd milling about the entrance, lounging on the benches outside and drinking little cups of coffee.

It was clearly a bohemian crowd, evident by the rather hippie clothing, the long scarves, berets and hemp slippers.

"What's going on?" he asked, curious. "Why are we here?"

A mane of red hair shook itself back into somewhat recognizable order. "We're here to enjoy and evening of the liberal arts courtesy of the silly young drama students of the University."

"What are we watching?"

"A politically incorrect rendition of '_Wicked_.'"

Pleased and now very interested Sasuke slipped his hand through Shukaku's and made his way into the dark, cold theatre- very glad that he had his jacket to cut the cold.

"Shall we?"

Shukaku bowed low and swept his unoccupied arm out in front of him. "After you, darling."

* * *

><p>Sasuke had never laughed himself so sick in his life.<p>

That play had been amazing. Especially since the actor who had played Elphaba was indeed an _actor_. The fact that they had made the Wicked Witch of the West a cross-dressing male was enough to send Sasuke in paroxysms of amused tears.

"Christ," he gasped still trying to catch his breath as they stumbled out of the cold theatre and shuddering at the change in temperature. "How did you even come across that thing anyways?"

"I told you," Shukaku said nuzzling his hairline a bit. "There's a bit more to me than many think."

"Hmm." The other agreed, even as they remounted the bike and Shu drove them to a small hybrid coffee-liquor jazz bar. The place was dark and a bit smoky with good music and quiet patrons. Sasuke liked it immediately.

After ordering Irish coffees heavy on the cream and brandy, Sasuke sat in the dark enjoying the sultry tones of Sade and contemplating his next move.

Shukaku was amazing yes, his sense of individuality and his ripping humour were like a breath of fresh air to the often stifled young man. The passion and sex between them was great and Sasuke knew that he was really, really enchanted with him

But was _it_ really there?

He smirked when Shukaku winked at him, but his gut didn't drop nor did his breathing kick up into danger territory. Shukaku was amazing…but…

"My ex-husband knows you."

Thick red eyebrows shot up, the man's coffee warmed lips twitching slightly as he waited for his date to continue. Sasuke snorted softly and sipped his delicious drink again.

"….I get the feeling that a _lot_ of ex-husbands know you."

A sharklike grin was his answer this time. Sasuke again considered for a second before frankly blurting.

"His name is Uzumaki Naruto."

And that got the redhead to straighten up before letting out a low whistle.

"My my….Little boy blue eyes. Yeah, I remember him. Played house with my little cousin Gaara. You two were _married_?"

"Divorced three years ago. How could you not have heard about that national scandal?"

"Three years ago explains it…..three years ago, I was in Guam."

Sasuke blinked. "_**What**_?"

Piercing golden eyes arrested him for a second before Shukaku reached into his jacket and produced a leather billfold which he opened and presented to Sasuke. The Uchiha could do nothing but stare at the rather shiny badge embossed with a highly detailed seal and coat of arms that read _"Japan Special Forces"._

The paler man couldn't have moved if he tried. The redhead smirked and leaned over to him, brushing his lips against the young moguls.

"I keep _telling_ you beautiful…. there's more to me than people think."

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Eight am on Monday found Sasuke in the antechamber of his building's bustling lobby, accompanied by Neji and feeling charged and ready to go. Naruto had just stepped inside himself and both parties had nodded curtly – and yay for some level of civility - to each other before turning to go to their respective ways.

And then Uchiha Fugaku walked in.

The small room had gone amazingly quiet and Sasuke felt a sick kind of swoon come to his gut when he realized exactly what was about to happen here.

These two _hated_ each other.

"Uzumaki." Fugaku drawled, eyes half closed as though that could hide the glaring disdain he held for the blond man.

"Fugaku." Naruto shot back, voice pleasantly poisonous even as he insulted his older man by using his given name which –incidentally- he had never, _ever_ been granted permission to employ. "Still alive, then."

Fugaku's jaw went tight.

Neji discreetly exited.

Sasuke's heart was racing a mile a minute.

_**So**_ not good.

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><p>TBC<p>

A/N: EXTRA long chapter for you. Appreciate me, goddamnit. –falls asleep-

Concerning Sakura, I wanted to give you the OTHER version (or well, one of them anyway) of the 'story'. OH what tangled webs we weave. Well, what do you think of her?

-is mightily curious-

And aren't I a bitch. I keep making you guys like Shu more and more and more. –evilsmirk- Hey, he's a very likeable guy. Me, I love him to death. Him and Shika and Neji with his prissy self.

'_**Anda bien'**_- sort of a colloquial..er… 'blessing'. Means, 'go well' or, more technically 'walk well.' Equivalent to 'travel safe' I guess. –shrug- I always did hate translation.

'_**le queda bien'**_ – it fits you well.


	8. The Patriarch

**Title**: Dearly Beloved

**Chapter** **Eight**: The Patriarch

**Pairing**: Naru x Sasuke, Shika x Neji, Kisame x Itachi

**Rating**: NC-17

**Warnings**: (for the entire fic not necessarily this chapter) Angst, snark, sex, heartbreak, love, divorce, plot, making up, snark, sex, love, slash, mentions of femmeslash, sex. Some more snark….Oh…and sex.

**Disclaimer**: No, I don't own Naruto. Goddamnit.

**General Announcement: Whoa, whoa whoa people- lol that Shukaku Sui thing was just a joke. /fail**

**A reviewer mentioned that making turning this into a fic where everybody is gay isn't necessary- and I agree with them. It's a bit juvenile and very unrealistic when you consider that the gay population of any given country is probably like 7 – 10%**

**Not gonna do it guys- Don't worry about it 8D**

**RE TWITTER**: I have finally taken the leap and gone and done my Twitter account. Link is on my profile- feel free to follow 8D

For all the Naruto lovers, we get to see more of him and hear more about his past this chapter. I did this because many reviewers have been calling Naru-bb a 'mysterious' character and I think it's time to bring him home for more of you lovely readers 8D

Ya'll don't even need to imagine the amount of typos in this thing. I'll fix them tomorrow, when I've gotten some sleep. -shrug- sorry

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_Eight am on Monday found Sasuke in the antechamber of his building's bustling lobby, accompanied by Neji and feeling charged and ready to go. Naruto had just stepped inside himself and both parties had nodded curtly – and yay for some level of civility - to each other before turning to go to their respective ways._

_And then Uchiha Fugaku walked in._

_The small room had gone amazingly quiet and Sasuke felt a sick kind of swoon come to his gut when he realized exactly what was about to happen here._

_These two hated each other._

"_Uzumaki." Fugaku drawled, eyes half closed as though that could hide the glaring disdain he held for the blond man._

"_Fugaku." Naruto shot back, voice pleasantly poisonous even as he insulted his older man by using his given name which –incidentally- he had never, ever been granted permission to employ. "Still alive, then."_

_Fugaku's jaw went tight._

_Neji discreetly exited._

_Sasuke's heart was racing a mile a minute._

_**So**__ not good._

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Silence had never been so loud.

Sasuke felt like his eardrums had both simultaneously ruptured and blasted his sanity to resounding pieces and like a bale of cotton had descended over his ears and slammed out all sound.

"Father," he managed, throat drier than the Sahara.

"I wasn't expecting you."

Adrenaline pumping and his entire mind being thrown into full 'damage-control-fix-this-erupting-shit-now' mode, Sasuke carefully positioned his body between Fugaku and Naruto's lines of sight.

"No. I dare say you weren't" the older man said flatly, his steely brown-black eyes dragonishly boring through his youngest's head as though it were cellophane and straight into Naruto's mutinous blue ones. The blond's fists had gone tight and his left eye was beginning to twitch dangerously.

Bad day, bad day, bad day.

Out of the corner of his eye Sasuke watched Neji's ponytail disappear into thin air.

'_Faggot'_ Sasuke thought venomously. '_Fucking sissy coward, leaving me alone in this mess without a paddle or a prayer_'

"Is there something you needed, father? We do have a meeting to get to."

Clearly, Naruto just couldn't hold it in anymore.

"Most likely to put C4 under my Veyron. Check his pockets for the remote controls Sasuke, I fear for my car's engine."

Sasuke wanted to slap him. "Naruto please, Father wouldn't ever-"

Fugaku's eyes narrowed into slits. "- be stupid enough to keep the remote on me. How are you Uzumaki? Still proving your blond hair accurate, I see. Run my company into the ground yet?"

"I'm almost there. The final stage is some suspicious arson over near where your old office used to be. The place reeks of death and bad karma."

A hastily muffled snort dragged Sasuke's attention over to the open door that was currently showing an abnormal amount of passer-by traffic. A young aid slapped his notepad over his face and scuttled off like a ferret. Sasuke made a mental note to assign him ancillary duty for the next thirty years.

Clearly, his life was a farce.

"What the hell is wrong with you two?" he hissed voice serpentine as his infamous temper finally flaring and grabbing both of their arms and glaring hellfire and brimstone.

"This is my bloody _building_. I need to command _some_ level of respect around here and a throwdown between you both in my blasted _lobby_ is not going to get me any cub scout point. Father, your old dinosaur pundit colleagues already don't respect me because I'm less than half their age. Naruto, get the _hell_ out of the sandbox and be an adult. I don't have the _**time**_ for this."

Both parties went silent…stiff, but silent. Naruto yanked his muscled bicep from Sasuke's death grip and stalked off back towards the elevator, back stiff like titanium and stride viciously clipped.

Sasuke sighed.

"I still don't understand how that immature child ever attracted you Sasuke. The boy is a mental peasant."

Sasuke just shook his head. "What do you want dad?"

Fugaku shuffled himself a bit. "I am entitled to visit my own company, Sasuke…Moreover, I was on my way to the penthouse to pick up some documents and your mother asked me to hand you this."

From a hidden pocket in his suit Fugaku produced a small cream parchment envelope and handed it to the other.

"I believe it is an invitation to an annual Sakura festival the Sarutobi boy keeps at his father's estate."

Sasuke accepted. "Anything else? I really do have a meeting."

Fugaku just stared at him for a minute. "Itachi has informed me that he intends to return to Japan by Christmas…I expect you to receive him and his…companion."

As elated as he was by his big brother's return, Sasuke felt his heart plummet with the wording of his father's sentence. It seemed that the old man would never see Itachi's decision to leave and live his own life as anything but a hideous betrayal to Fugaku's own person. The fact that he was fucking a man only made things worse.

"Goodbye Dad." He said softly, voice low and disappointed. "I'll visit Mother soon."

Not even waiting for an answer Sasuke departed, his turned back disallowing his from Seeing Fugaku's shoulders slump.

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"Naruto!" Sasuke hissed, slamming the door behind him and swiftly drawing the brown blinds to his office from the gazes of curious onlookers.

The blond turned a blue eye upon him before sneering and flinging himself into Sasuke's padded guest chair that sat opposite his desk.

"What the _fuck_? You know not to antagonize him! Christ! You think I need any more drama in my life right now?"

It was barely nine in the morning and Sasuke already felt like his tie was strangling him. Tossing his briefcase to the large table and yanking on his constricting green tie with jerky pulls, the furious Uchiha's lips had thinned to pale, bloodless lines.

"Oh please." Naruto scoffed, his gaze mulish as he looked up at the now pacing Uchiha.

"Sasuke, I refuse to allow that bastard to walk over me anymore. As much respect I have for him and all the power he'd got, _**el abuelito es un pendejo**_, Sasuke. A complete fucking bastard and I'm sorry that he doesn't like me, but it is what it is. I don't like him either."

Sasuke rolled his eyes and slowed his pacing to face his rather stern, and frankly very sexy looking in his stubbornness, ex.

"Don't be rash Naruto…it's not that Father doesn't _like_ you…it's just…if you could _bend _a little- you're so stubborn and independent and Father works best with if you just give him a _little_ rope and let him do things his way. It's not the end of the world Naruto."

Naruto's eyes went softer and the set to his jaw lost a bit of its edge as he surveyed Sasuke, whose tone had gone a bit stressed and pleading there to the end.

"No," he said quietly and firmly. "You've never really known, have you?"

"Known what?"

Naruto's smile was wry but his voice began to explain. "Seems I've kept you in the dark for a very long time- I'm sorry Sasuke. That really was my mistake…I guess I wasn't as communicative with you as I though."

"Know _what_?" The brunet reiterated, drawing closer to the blond, his heartbeat kicking up a bit as he wondered if this is what Madara had meant the other day about much of his life being kept from him. Naruto considered for a moment and began.

"Your family is _zaibatsu_ Sasuke, you know this. It's one of the large global family corporations that turn into empires and mega-conglomerates, the only difference between it and the Rockefellers or the Carnegies is that you come from samurai class and they're Western….Your father doesn't like me, because I grew up poor."

"What are you talking about?" Sasuke queried softly, trying to- finally- understand the man before him. "You grew up in the embassy, with money. Your grandmother has money."

"In Japan, yes. But I wasn't in Japan for a good portion of my times. After my parents died I bounced around Spain in foster homes for a while before coming to the embassy."

Naruto turned his chair towards Sasuke and leaned forward, his elbows propped up on his knees and his blue eyes gloomy. The Uchiha found himself leaning on the edge of his desk now, half perched on the gleaming wood and less than a foot away from the other. Naruto looked up again, vision liquid with memory.

"In Puerto Rico, when I finally got there, Baba Tsunade lived a simple life. She had money but she didn't care about it or she gave it away or gambled it off. Our home was small but functional and near the coastline so we got smashed sometimes during hurricanes.

It was _un barrio,_ a lower level income community. I spoke slang and listened to raggaeton. I ran barefoot on dirt roads and played football with no rules in cowfields and in the dirt streets. I saw cock fights and bull dog fights and knife fights. We woke up, not from a fancy alarm, but because the cock crowed and you either got the eggs from the chickens or the mongoose would…. or if there was a drive by. Granny Tsunade had her issues- she wasn't no woman to tuck you into bed. After the death of her husband and with the things she'd seen, she got tough around the edges. Real touch… caring, but tough. That woman can still punch a hole through a half-inch thick cement wall."

Sasuke was quiet, allowing these words that Naruto had never shared to paint a picture of a land and a life that he had never seen or even imagined before.

"Sasuke, believe me when I say, 'I grew up poor'. In Octobers, when I came back to the embassy for classes and Japanese and uniforms I felt like a curiosity. '_Un extraterrestre' _ Sasuke- an alien.

I had this entire legacy to live up to and I was scared. When I got my inheritance and finished college, taking the plunge and starting Jinchuriki Entertainments was the biggest fright of my life. I didn't sleep for months; when I did, it was on the floor in my apartment 'cause the bed made me feel like I was suffocating. I struggled, I clawed and I earned my respect tooth and nail from the people who thought I was coasting on Daddy's money and old contacts. I wasn't."

Naruto's face was suddenly passionate and fierce. "I _swear_ I wasn't Sasuke. I had help in some key places yes, I'm not going to lie, but I built that company Sasuke. I _built_ it. I built it _con_ _mis manos, y mi sangre…y mis l__ágrimas."_

'_My blood_,' Sasuke translated mentally, '_and_ _my sweat…and my tears'_.

Naruto flopped back like he had lost his strength.

"Your Father knows that." Naruto scoffed. "Hell, he knows more things about me than I'd like. I think, I remind him of himself…and that's why he doesn't like me."

Sasuke's eyes lit up and he edged closer to the saddened looking male, something in his gut twisting in pain.

"But Naruto…don't you think these similarities with Father would _endear_ you to him? Maybe, maybe he's just been trying to guide you because he respects how you've worked and-"

Naruto's smile grew even waner. "No my innocent Sasuke…he doesn't like me because I remind him too much of himself…remind him that he was once an outcast and an alien too, before Madara rebuilt the clan. And he doesn't like it."

Sasuke stood, stunned like a fool slapped over his head with a mallet.

Dear god…he had never looked at it that way. All this time, all this very long time- he couldn't ever understand why his father looked at Naruto the way he did, like he couldn't bear to see him. Sasuke has thought it was because Fugaku thought Naruto flighty, young and stupid (and, well _blond_) and the older man had done nothing to disabuse him of the notion. Allowing him to rant and rave about how Naruto just couldn't stay still for any amount of time and how he just couldn't get along with Fugaku.

Sasuke felt cold sweat break out on his forehead and the back of his neck. Christ. Just what the fuck had gone on in his marriage? His heart beat kicked up another notch and his eyes grew wide.

"Naruto, I didn't know. I didn't know! I _swear_ to you, I didn't know- I thought you just hated him for no reason and I had him on such a pedestal- and still do- because he's my _father_ and I thought you were trying to make me choose between you and my family and I-"

Sasuke was inches from Naruto now, his fists clenched at his sides trembling and unsure.

"Sasuke, as precious as family is to me, you should know that I would never encourage you to leave yours. Not ever - not even if he helped mess this up."

The rebuke was gentle and Sasuke felt so very, very small.

"Can you ever forgive me?"

The shimmering blond head tilted back and a small smile played across peach lips. A shiver of something dark and sinister twirled through the Uchiha when both of Naruto's broad hands came to rest on Sasuke's slim hips and pulled him into the 'V' of the blond's legs.

"Sasuke," he sighed pressing his forehead into the slender man's tummy. "I never really held you accountable in the first place."

Quiet, and flooded in gratitude and shame, Sasuke could do nothing more than bring his left hand up to softly hold the man's held in place by the back of his tan neck. He still wracked his brain for a way to show that he meant it.

"_Mu_-_muchisimas_ _gracias_?" he tried tentatively.

Naruto laughed and looked back, blue eyes sparkling and face mischievous with a lopsided fox grin.

"**Aha**! I knew all those Spanish lessons would bear fruit someday!"

Sasuke snorted and gently pulled away. "Oh kiss my ass, dobe."

"Do you still have that tattoo there?" the blond perked up, his cheery face effectively eliminating the sombre atmosphere of before.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes. "The misadventures of my youth and the very tiny grasshopper and bamboo tattoo on my ass are two subjects I've actively repressed, thank you. Leave it, or I'll tell everyone in this building about how you use to drag race in Tokyo's underground."

Naruto stretched and buffed his nails on his silk shirt like a boss. "Man I ruled the road. They used to call me 'King' Naruto."

"Please."

"No, for real! I was good. Left that shit behind real quick though- I had bigger things ahead of me than pulling mad maxes in underground parking lots…still stick to my roots though."

"Clearly, otherwise you wouldn't have that blue monstrosity in my building."

"What? The _Veyron_? You have the _balls_ to call a Bugatti a '_monstrosity'_. Sasuke, get down on your knees and repent."

Pale lips twitched at the others fierce look, his cheeks almost as puffed out as a fussed chipmunk.

"I don't think so. But you can kiss its bumper as much as you like. Me, I'll take pictures."

"I just want to _breathe_ on that car." A new voice said.

Both parties spun around to find two widely smirking men standing in the doorway. The first was a wild eyed brunet with piercing golden eyes and a wolfish grin and the second was a huskier rusty redhead with seagrass eyes and broader shoulders.

"Man forget _breathing_ on it, I just it to run me over. Just lay my ass down and let it clobber me - I can admire the neon blue undercarriage lighting better from the floor."

"Kiba! Kankuro! Man, what are you guys _doing_ here?" Naruto shot up from his seat and grabbed his chief-of-staff, previously out with gout, into a fierce hug.

"Naru- man, dude, can't breathe. Sympathy for the convalescing here, please!"

The Uzumaki released him, eyes brimming, before turning to capture Kankuro. _"Oye! c_á_bron- que lo que, man? Que pasa, puto? Hace tiempo, chacho!"_

"I don't understand a word you said Naruto, you know I only speak Italian. But it's good to see you nonetheless. Gaara sends his regards."

"Yes, yes of course. You guys remember Sasuke?" he turned to gesture.

Two sets of thick eyebrows shot up together.

"Yeah, of course. Uchiha-san," Kiba created a bit cautiously, "Good to see you."

Sasuke held up a hand. "'Sasuke', Inuzuka please. Drop the formality, I already have a headache."

Kiba's eyebrows disappeared into his hair and he shot his boss and friend a 'we so need to talk' look before getting back into the conversation.

"Sabaku Kankuro right? Gaara's older brother. I heard you were a puppeteer."

Kankuro gave a deep belly laugh. "Yeah, and Gaara does glass. Temari just does women- guess we all have an eye for beauty."

Sasuke came forward. "Glad to see you in better health Inuzuka. What brings you both here today?"

Both men simultaneously pointed to Naruto.

"The conference this week." Kiba said.

"A message from Gaara." Kankuro added. He smirked, "We couldn't find him in his office, so we took the advice of the fine people in the lobby and just followed the trail of blood and innards here. Heard there was a bitch fight."

Sasuke snorted. Well, if _Shukaku_ was crass…..

"Oh god, welcome to my nightmare. Naruto, you want to go deal with them while I floor mat it with my father? We can catch up later?"

Naruto hopped on the balls of his feet like a toddler. "Sure, sure! I'll see you later."

Smiling, Sasuke went back to his desk and settled. Naruto, Kiba and Kankuro said goodbyes and turned out the door. Just before Kiba's back disappeared, a snippet of voice floated back to Sasuke through the air.

"I am going to record every word that now comes out of your mouth about _this_,** believe it**."

Sasuke snorted and palmed the phone.

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Naruto led Kankuru and Kiba into his previously empty and very unused office not too far down the corridor from where Sasuke's resided. Waving both his friends into a seat the blond went to the minifridge and offered them both a bottle of chilled Evian.

"So what's up? Kiba I thought you had gout."

The Inuzuka grinned and leaned back. "Private doctors can work wonders these days man."

Naruto rolled his eyes. "And Kankuro, you?"

The other man was silent for a while, his fierce bluegreen eyes darting to Kiba for a second before turning back to his younger companion.

Kiba shifted a bit, "Look, I can leave if-"

Kankuro snorted and waved him off. "Nah, sit down. You can hear this…Naruto, it's about that info on Shukaku you asked Gaara for. I've come to deliver it since; honestly, I know more about it than Gaara does anyway. I'm the oldest out of all of us."

The mood in the room immediately shifted and Kiba fell to observation as Naruto's eyes went serious.

"I thought Shukaku would be about twenty nine by now?"

"Yeah, but I've got him beat by seven months. I'm thirty man, this ass is getting old."

Naruto smiled and Kankuro took a sip of water.

"Storytelling time. Point blank, Shukaku really is just here on coincidence. A lot of people don't know it, including you and maybe your boy Uchiha there, but Shukaku really disappeared because he was drafted into the military."

Naruto blinked, clearly shocked but said nothing.

"Yeah. You know he was a troublemaker back in his teens. Was in juvie and jail for Grand Theft Auto and street racing by the time he was eighteen. By the time he was twenty he was facing hard time, but Daddy cut a deal and he was pulled into the military under the cover that he staged a revolt and broke out of jail."

Kiba whistled lowly. "Hollywood, man."

Kankuro snorted. "Now if there's one prop I gotta give Shu…he's a badass. Shu can really fight. He rose through the ranks quickly- and unlike the others, he knew the streets. By the time he was twenty three Shukaku was in deep cover over in Nagasaki - busted up a huge Korean drug import ring with some crooked customs officials and one nasty piece of work judge. Barely four months later was he headhunted from military into Japan Special Forces. He's been in Guam and Malaysia ever since and that's why he wasn't at the wedding with you and Sasuke."

Kankuro paused for effect and watched the other two men as they allowed that half of the information to sink in a bit before he moved on to the other.

"Gaara was still pretty young back then and didn't really understand what was going on. To be honest, nobody really explained to him either; you know the little squirt was having some of his own mental trouble back in the day before you straightened his ass out. Thank you for that by the way, I never really did say so." He added, lifting his water in a brief toast.

Kankuro sighed again and his eyes were a bit flat. "I kinda blame myself. Shu was always a good kid…but he was always the black sheep of the family. Too wild, to individual, to hot headed and had problems with authority." He scoffed,

"To be honest, just like a damn Sabaku. Temari ain't conventional either- none of us are. But it pissed Daddy off something fierce, especially when Shu went behind his back or disrespected him. Daddy couldn't deal someone so…so _wild_."

"And Sasuke?"

Kankuro laughed. "Nah man, that really is just a coincidence. No grand designs, no underbelly plotting. He really is straight, well, _figuratively_ anyway, cocky bastard that he is."

Kankuro grew sober again. "I think he's about to be shipped out again though. There's been some trouble up in China, especially near the Russian border up near old Manchuria. Some old school nationalists are trying some kind of counter-revolution against the communist government. Nothing major, just some rebel crazies, but you know how Japan wants to keep relationships with China tight, especially since the world is still feeling this damn recession and China is edging the US out in world power and money. Beijing is loaded, hell- they're saving Europe's ass right now. Greece may owe them for eternity and Japan likes money so it all works. Send in troops for support under cover of cultural ties and friendship is diplomatic gold right now."

Both men were nodding in confirmation of the political fact that the older puppeteer was giving.

"I still wanna punch him though." Naruto muttered.

Kiba interjected this time. "Speaking of which, man what is the deal with this? From what I saw in that room, you two were pretty cosy. When you guys were together I got this bad habit of checking the room for sharp objects and quick exits."

Naruto glared. "We were _not_ that bad!"

"Man, what the hell are you _talking_ about man? The press _lived_ for your fights! Remember that time the deck of the 8ft yacht blew up and they got pictures of you and Sasuke brawling in the sand on the beach just out east? Man that shit was a classic, they _still_ run that shit on entertainment television."

Kiba grinned. "Especially that shot where Sasuke had just clocked your ass one. That shot was gold. I hear the paparazzo that took it moved to Malibu."

Naruto cringed. Okay, so not one of his finest moments. Bad memory. Bad, _bad_ memory.

"Yeah well-"

"Oh, I almost forgot!" Kankuro perked up before rummaging in his jacket pocket for something.

"I saw Sakura on the way up. She asked me to give this to you." He continued, forking over to Naruto a stiff looking envelope of cream parchment.

"Sakura's in the building?" Naruto cringed again, having a right to. Sasuke did _not_ like having that woman in his turf, job description or _no_ job description.

"She left right after. Yeah, I know the beef between her and Uchiha. Honestly, I side with him on this point. I always thought she was a bitch."

"Don't insult my friend."

"Watch it kid, I still outweigh your stick looking ass by two stone. It's my opinion and you know I'm flat out blunt. She didn't act right when you and Sasuke were together. She can't blame anyone but herself."

Naruto looked at Kiba and the other just shrugged, holding up both palms face out in a 'I'm-not-touching-that-with-a-ten-foot-pole,' expression. The blond sighed and let it go, opening the letter which turned out to be an invitation to the Sarutobi's yearly Sakura viewing.

"A viewing party, up at Asuma's. I hear his wife is pregnant."

"Who Kurenai? Well I'll be damned. Asuma always wanted a kid. Man'd make a good father if he quit smokin' so much." Kankuro rubbed his chin. "I been growing grapes and hitting on hot Romans out in Italy too long. All the stuff in Japan is passing me by."

Naruto stood, needing to get to some work. "Well hey, why don't you stick around the neighbourhood for a while? Christmas is coming soon and I know Neji is holding some kind of bash. You know how the Hyuuga can party."

"Yeah," Kankuro grinned. "I might even drag Gaara out of his hole. Tem, I'll put on a leash."

They all laughed.

"Look," Naruto said jerking his head towards the door. "I'll be running but I'll see you ok? Thanks for the info, I understand better now- but you tell big red he has a fist coming to him, you hear me? And Kiba, take care of business alright? Get up to speed with Shikamaru and Haku. I need you at the summit on Wednesday."

Kiba saluted and Naruto ducked out the door.

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"What do you want from me?" Shikamaru asked flatly from the darkness, the only point of light in the room was the coal red of his lit cigarette.

Neji moved forward very carefully in the blackness.

"There is no way you can misunderstand me Shikamaru…I'm attracted to you. I'm attracted…to your mind."

Neji had, in the course of a few days, decided that the best way to approach this boy was just honesty. Shikamaru didn't strike him as the type to enjoy coy games even though he was more than stunningly brilliant enough to play them well.

"No one is attracted to my mind. Even _I'm_ not attracted to my mind."

There was silence for a very long while and Neji's strong eyesight adjusted quickly enough to make out the youth's figure to the left of him curled up in a couch and hugging his knees. Moving softly he came to stand before the other, shivering a bit into his light beige jacket.

"May I."

"_Can_ you?"

The model worthy lawyer lowered himself to sit beside the other and offered a small smile. Shikamaru's trademark hoodie was missing and his hair was down around is face, falling in beautiful curls to his sharp collarbones. Neji sucked in a breath as those shadowed eyes regarded him.

"Shikamaru," he breathed, "I want you…and I know you're in a lot of pain. Why?"

Neji didn't flinched when the other did but sat quietly as the young male, whose shirt was slipping off one of his shoulders, considered for a while, searching Neji's face with piercing, and fearful eyes.

"…I was in love, once." He started, long fingers moving up to remove the burnt out cigarette and crushing the nub to add it to an already overflowing crystal ashtray.

"With a teacher of mine. Completely besotted…head over heels like a fourteen year old girl for the kendo team captain. He was an amazing guy…the only one who could keep up with my brain. When I was younger I used to scare myself sick with the speed and force of my own thoughts…he calmed me…taught me chess and Go. He did what my parents, much as they loved me, couldn't. He helped me…helped me understand myself, helped me control my mind, taught me meditation…got me drugs to sleep."

Neji felt his throat close a bit. He had an awful felling this story had a bad ending.

"But he never once returned my feelings, even though he knew they were there. He wouldn't…he couldn't. Too much honour to fuck a desperate sixteen year old….too much respect. His nobility made me hate him."

There was silence for a bit but Neji had to ask. "What else?"

There was a shrug. "One day, coming back late from a tutoring session with me, he got mugged, shot and left on the street corner for dead. A police officer on the next block got to him… called an ambulance…she saved his life….

… Last I heard they're in love. Married man now, living the life of a college professor with a house in the suburbs and the white picket fence. She's pregnant. Her name is Kurenai, I think. His name…is Asuma Sarutobi."

Neji swallowed hard. Christ. This boy got hurt so young. Shikamaru must have been seventeen when he'd gotten his heart shattered. Hell, Neji would have had problems too if that had happened to him.

The brunet breathed out, his high ponytail swaying as he leaned forward and placed a hand on Shika's smooth, hollowed cheek.

"The insomnia came back…the fear came back…everything came back and they never left. I can't sleep sometimes for days. I twitch, and I can't drink regular coffee. I'm a mess- only good for my brain. I don't like people and I don't associate with them. No parties, no life, no nothing."

A beat.

"I have a cat though, her name is Delilah."

Neji came closer, his being twisting in hurt and sympathy. "Delilah? The most traitorous woman in the Bible?"

Shikamaru shrugged listlessly.

"I figure it's only a matter of time before she leaves me too…just like my mind did…just like everything else."

Neji had the boy in his arms by now and the two were talking in whispers.

"Answer me honestly Shikamaru…what is your IQ score?"

"Honestly…two hundred and seventy five."

The Hyuuga nearly had a heart attack. "You…you score higher than the estimates for Albert Einstein."

"Yes."

"…Shika, believe me, I understand now. I can't know what that pain could feel like…but I do know the pain of loss…and I do know that I want you, and I can't promise not to hurt you but I can do everything in my power to try not to."

In answer, a slender hand reached out an up towards a light dimmer on the wall beside them. Slowly, the room filled with enough soft golden light until the shimmering haze illuminated the room and Neji, for the first time, got a good, solid look at Shikamaru's face.

Dear lord the boy was beautiful, even with his face set in its haunted cast. His nose was patrician and his heavy brows were as mahogany brown as his hair. His skin was as pale as moonlight and the long neck and protruding Adam's apple curved down to a bare clavicle and a thin but well-formed shoulder.

"Neji," Shikamaru warned lowly, tone flat. "If you hurt me there will be nothing left. Do not hurt me Neji. Do not."

The Hyuuga wrapped his arms fully around the other. "I will try my best."

Shikamaru pushed forward until he was centimetres away from the other.

"Oh and Neji…I don't bottom."

"That's okay." The lawyer whispered, nerves trembling as he leaned back into the couch, his fingers burying themselves into Shikamaru's hair and pulling him down on top of him. His lips were brushing Shikamaru's chapped ones now.

"I don't top."

* * *

><p>(*)(*)(*)<p>

After he had seen the last of Naruto's back Sasuke reached into his vest pocket, pressed a number on hi speed dial and prepared himself. The second Fugaku answered the phone Sasuke started.

"Don't talk daddy…just listen."

Silence but both the soft intake of breath.

"I love you…know that…. but you've done something to me that I can't forgive. I've just spoken with Naruto dad…I mean _really_ spoken with him, for the first time in a very long while, and dad…I'm disappointed in you. I respect you, I love you and I'll take your advice. But not blindly anymore. You manipulated me dad, you manipulated my marriage and you made me fall into a pit I was stupidly creating for myself without so much as a warning."

Sasuke took a deep breath, his Adams apple trembling.

"I love you for looking out for me daddy…but I don't like you right now. Please don't contact me until I come looking for you. You shouldn't have cast your own self-hatred on Naruto dad. You shouldn't have. That's it. That's all I have to say."

* * *

><p>(*)(*)(*)<p>

"You're back." Sasuke blinked at Suigetsu.

"Yes," the blond male smiled, his eyes curving at the edges. "Video game conventions ended a bit early this year.'"

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Video game con? I can only imagine the insanity. What, did you go dressed up as someone from Grand Theft Auto?"

"Actually Sir no, I went as one of the zombies from Mission to Mars. The fake blood and innards were a work of art- I have pictures if you want to see!"

"No thanks," Sasuke denied. "I'd like to keep my sanity, thanks. Met any hot girls?"

"No." Suigetsu replied mildly as he took Sasuke's coat.

"But there was this woman who made a really amazing Chewbacca and had a rack the size of a small r-"

Sasuke held up a desperate hand. "My sanity Suigetsu, my precious sanity."

The other smirked.

"Dinner?"

"…remember that Chewbacca I was telling you about? Well she introduced me to this exotic meat butchery and I decided to try it."

"…I'm eating roast giraffe for dinner, aren't I?"

Suigetsu shook his head aghast. "Oh god no, not giraffes! I've watched Lion King too, you know... But the flamingo I found is simmering rather nicely in the pineapple sauce."

Sasuke blinked.

"You're having me on."

"Am I Sir?" the butler said mildly ambling out to the kitchen. "Am I?"

* * *

><p>(*)(*)(*)<p>

The summit began right on time and smoothly for once in Sasuke's life.

The presentations were flawless, for once his finance department had some kind of handle on their data presentation and the human resource department was reporting some noticeable growth in worker productivity and output.

By the end of the first four hours Sasuke was feeling like his life had not been completely wasted. When it came for his first address Sasuke spieled off the usual platitudes before getting down to business.

"Upon further consideration of the proposal made by Orochimaru-san, I'm taking an administrative decision."

Naruto coughed and Sasuke rolled his eyes. "We_...we _are taking an administrative decision. Regardless of the possible revenue explosion we have identified certain phenomena associated with the shipping company that would be both libelous and a liability to our corporation at this time.

Consider these factors the proposed bi-lateral investment agreement with MandaCorp is now formally rendered void. And no, I'm not taking any questions."

Shocked and suspicious eyes were being cast around the room for a bit and one stupid twat from over in Documentations opened his mouth for a second before remembering that Sasuke might forcibly put his foot inside it, before settling back into his seat.

Naruto's smile was barely hidden behind his large hand.

Sasuke smiled brilliantly. "Moving on...So about this expansion into Taiwan…"

* * *

><p>(*)(*)(*)<p>

The Sarutobi's lived out into the country, a fifty minute drive from the town proper and was located on a soft gradient of a roiling grassland property that was about fifty something acres of Sakura and Japanese peach orchard. Unlike the Uchiha's property which was traditional Japanese mixed with French elements, the Sarutobi mansion passed down to Asuma from his aging father Sandaime, was strict Victorian design, with gothic towering that somehow didn't look too intimidating in the afternoon light.

Sasuke parked the sleek black vehicle in the roundabout and handed the keys to the valet, making sure that the ends of his traditional black and red garb didn't get caught in the doors.

The outfit he was wearing was simply designed but worth a fortune, crafted from handspun silk dyed blacker than the abyss and carefully stitched with dark red embroidery along the left sleeve in an intricate pattern of bloody looking koi and a repeated fan motif.

The obi was black as well with the red stitching more thick on the edges and a magnificent ying-yang symbol made by even larger red koi. The thing had cost a fortune and Sasuke didn't dare breathe on it sometimes. But it made him look like a vision from the _bakumatsu_ and a true inheritor of his warrior name.

The home was beautiful and having been received by the head of staff he was led out into the main back garden where proceedings were.

It was a riot of amazing colour and culture out here. People from all strata were milling about, sipping sparkling rose wines and dressed in some of the most elegant and intricate Japanese finery. The women wore light, beautiful summer kimonos with magnificently tied obis of shimmering gold, rose and green. The hair ornaments were made of coral combs and golden chopstick shaped hairpins with long dangling charms and reams silken ribbons. The men stood austere in darker kimonos with bright sashes embroidered with Japanese proverbs or the clan emblem. Some had even gone so far as to don traditional samurai armor and were armed with ceremonial _wakizashi_ and the longer _katana_ at their sides.

It was magnificent.

"Uchiha-san," a heavily pregnant and red eyed Kurenai swept over to him to clasp his hands. "Your mother told me to expect you."

Sasuke bowed, "And to stuff me full with food as well, I'd imagine."

Kurenai smirked. "That too. You look like shard of glass."

"And you look resplendent in your condition. Congratulations. I hope to god the baby doesn't take after Asuma. A new-born with facial hair is not something I'm hoping for."

Kurenai snorted rather unladylike. "Help yourself, mingle, mooch- have fun. The orchard walk begins soon."

In all honestly, Sasuke really did enjoy himself. The gathering was amazing, the people were smart and sarcastic and the garden was gorgeous in it sable hues of brown, rich verdant, stunning pinks and whites and…

…brilliant, retina melting orange.

Naruto.

Sasuke felt like slapping himself in exasperation. Naruto had shown up to completely rape everyone's attention in a brilliant orange kimono, with a dark blue obi embroidered with swirls of golden thread and a blindingly white overcoat with roaring flames on the hems and the most enormous, painfully detailed embroidery of a fearsome nine tailed fox spirit blazoned across the back and right shoulder.

All that in addition to his tan skin, sunlight hair and loud mouth made the Uzumaki the blazing sun in a sea of pink and green calm.

"He's…quite a strike to the eye…isn't he?" Sasuke turned to find Asuma standing behind him, the big burly professors large hands shoved casually into his simple brown outfit.

"Like a thunderbolt to the brain. How are you Sarutobi? Still a pack a day man?"

The man scratched his scruff jaw. "I can't even look at a cigarette now. The baby you know. I fell like gnawing my own arm off most days."

Sasuke just shook his head. They stood in silence for a bit, the young Uchiha nodding to a few colleagues but finding his eyes always drawn to the blazing ball of blond and blue eyes in the centre of the gathering who was sending people into hysterics with some tall tale or other.

The sun was striking down on his just right and Sasuke swallowed hard. God.

Dear God.

"You'll never forget, you know."

The paler male turned a black eye on a suddenly grave looking Asuma.

"You'll never forget." He restated simply. A beat passed before the older man managed a wry smile.

"Kuri is calling for me. Next time you come around sneak in a pack of menthols, would you?"

Sasuke saluted as Asuma stepped of the small patio and towards his tiring wife, pausing for a bit to call back a low message before continuing on.

"Oh and Uchiha…next time you run into Shikamaru…tell him 'hello' for me?"

Confused for a bit Sasuke just blinked in slight shock, but confined the message to memory anyway

* * *

><p>(*)(*)(*)<p>

"You got roped into this too, huh?" An amused voice chimed in.

Sasuke opened his eyes and looked up from his small nest on a flat marble stone under an old grand white chery tree that was so laden with flowers that its wizened branches hung to the grassy ground.

Naruto stood before him; his hands folded into the overlarge sleeves of his orange kimono and a small half smirk on his face.

For a moment they just looked at each other before Naruto slowly held out a hand and offered Sasuke assistance in standing. There was a time when the Uchiha would have brushed the gift off with a sneer but now…not…something had shifted. Something…poignant.

Sasuke took that offered hand, and clasped it.

It was warm.

They were standing closer now and Sasuke had a nervous fluttering urge in his belly.

"In what blind seamstress's closet did you did _that_ neon crime up."

Naruto sniffed. "Christian Dior's"

"Please, Dior doesn't so traditional Japanese. I've checked."

"He does for a good few thousand euros and a three day stay in Alps."

"Corruption." Sasuke sniped, lips pursed.

"Innovation," Naruto kindly corrected, turning to walk down a path.

"It's because you're blond." Sasuke muttered ungraciously.

"Lesson to be learned, little descendant- blonds get away with everything." A humorous older voice interjected from the ether.

Madara Uchiha seemed to materialize out of nowhere, his long black, silver shot hair falling to his sternum and his dark eyes glimmering with mischief. He was dressed in a forest green outfit with a dark brown sash and his hands were clasped behind him.

Standing to his immediate right was one of Sasuke's favourite persons in his family aside from his brother. Great Uncle Tobi stood beside his older twin, his outfit flip image of his brothers and was dark brown with a green sash.

Tobi's hair was shorter, cut closer to the sides, but had more shining silver than Madara did. He was shorter too and his eyes were softer and more clam that Madara's slyly cornered ones. All these considered, it was something else that made Tobi even dearer to the whole clan…he had never been born as intellectually quick as the rest of them and had matured at a much later age than his brother. Madara had always taken care of his challenged brother, keeping him by his side throughout their whole lives.

Sasuke had played blocks with his older uncle who had always remained a silly child at heart. He had been the dearest thing to the youn five year old Uchiha and even now the man's value had done nothing but increase in Sasuke's eyes.

"Uncle Tobi." He breathed, placing himself into the old man's arms. "I haven't seen you in so long, I'm so sorry."

Tobi smiled and patted his head, producing a stick of candy from his sleeve and offering it over.

Madara chuckled. "No matter how much I search him he stores those somewhere. Clever little brat."

Tobi winked. "You're just not looking hard enough old man."

"Speaking of old." Madara perked up, "How are you blondie? My, you've finally hit a growth spurt."

"I've got you beat by four inches easy."

"Not where it counts sonny, not where it counts." Madara smirked while pumping Naruto's hands.

"Finally got your head out of your ass and came back for our Sasuke have you."

Flaming red shot up both the younger males' faces and stuttering began to spew from clumsy lips and were accompanied by frantically waving arms of denial. Madara just snorted.

"I would have been here earlier but I was speaking to a rather irate Fugaku. My, you've done a number on him today haven't you little one?"

Sasuke sobered and stepped a bit closer to Naruto, looking at him for a deep second before sighing.

"He did something very wrong Uncle…I had to speak my mind."

Shrewd eyes regarded him before the oldest patriarch nodded. "The party's winding down. We should go…and sonny boys, I have a box of condoms in the bently if you'd like a few before you leave."

Sasuke desperately wanted to drown himself.

* * *

><p>(*)(*)(*)<p>

"If I ever get suckered into that again I want you to punch me in the face." Sasuke muttered as he let himself into his home with Naruto padding softly behind him.

The blond had decided to follow him home for a night cap and a bit of late shop talk. Naruto cracked his stiff muscles before beginning to undo all the layers of his outfit. By the time he was down to his undershirt and his hakama Sasuke had ducked into the bathroom and removed his own.

Padding back downstairs he caught a glimpse of the clock: nine fifteen pm. Not too late that he was dog tired but late enough that he was craving comfortable clothes and a movie.

Returning to his room he pawned a pair of his largest sweats and came back to offer them to the other.

"Here, borrow these. Those pants must be an ass."

Grateful the other, quite unthinkingly, pulled off his hakama, baring his toned golden legs and tight black boxerbriefs to the world. Sasuke coughed and turned around.

"Heheh..sorry. Habit."

The young Uchiha coughed awkwardly. He really didn't like the stirrings in his belly that had suddenly flared up at his brief look at all that…bulge.

"How about a movie?" Sasuke suggested, meandering into the kitchen to get some snacks.

"Okay," Naruto shrugged, picking up the remote from the coffee table and flipping the LG ginormo-screen on before accessing the pay-per-view channels…how about Salt."

Sasuke wrinkled his nose as he dug out the granola bars.

"Ok then..er…how about a rerun of The Tourist?"

Sasuke paused…well…it had Johnny Depp in it….

"Fast 5?"

Sasuke closed the fridge. "Done." Bringing the stuff back into the living room, both men wearily settled on the couch with Sasuke appropriating cushions and throws from other chairs.

"Johnny Depp is the incarnation of Dionysus but Vin Diesel and cars is…well…"

"Yeah." Naruto sighed as the movie started. "That charger makes me think things."

The room was cool and dark and the movie was absolutely, completely amazing. By the time the credits were rolling on the screen Sasuke was pleasantly bushed and Naruto was a heavy snorting weight on his shoulder.

The clock read twelve fifteen am and Sasuke's soul was quiet.

He felt absolutely no urge to move, even though he knew he should. He felt an even greater aversion to waking the blond up even though he was damned sure he should. In the darkness and the silence with the soft blue glow of the tv casting an ethereal light over the both of them, Sasuke felt an old anger slither away through the cracks in the floorboards of his consciousness.

Softly extracting himself from the mass, Sasuke carefully replaced his person with a stack of pillows and a few blankets. Naruto promptly burrowed into the squishy couch and stuck his thumb into his mouth- a habit which had used to drive Sasuke virtually insane.

Another beat of silence passed before Sasuke shook his head, called himself a moron and left the room.

"Good night, baka…don't piss on my couch, you big baby."

(*)(*)(*)

The street was as empty as a sepulcher when the silent shadow slipped from the shadow of an oak and into the waiting hybrid sitting idle in front of him

Pulling open his cell phone he pressed in a number he had memorized by heart.

"Hey, Ukon, call that Kabuto guy back and get the presses ready for a coming apocalypse. ….Man, do I have a story for _you_."

* * *

><p>TBC<p>

(*)(*)(*)

A/N: Well…long new chappie for you. Clearly, things are heating up. Oh, and just lemme say: Tobi, I love you so dearly. –hugs my fictional character-

A/N2: Translations:

"_Oye! Cabron- que lo que, man? Que pasa, puto? Hace tiempo, chacho!" _

-Okay, this, this is just straight Panamanian and Puerto Rican slang with quite a few nasty curse words thrown in there. '**que lo que'** is technically supposed to be '_qual es lo que pasa'_, which is another way of saying '**que pasa**?' which is '_What's up_."

'**C**á**bron' **is _bastard_ , motherfucker….goat –dies laughing- It's a term of endearment even though its more native to Mexico.

'**Puto'** is, er, _cunt_ or _bitch_.

"Chacho" is the shortened form of 'muchacho' which is like 'dude'.


End file.
